Erudition
by Keiraun
Summary: His life was changing. He didn't expect to change hers. KyouyaHaruhi
1. Chapter 1

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: K+

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AN: Fanfiction. I haven't written a single piece of fanfiction in almost three years. Wow. Its sad to think I haven't really improved, either. This will be my only fanfiction project, no guarantees on any sort of time-table, though. If you notice any glaring grammar mistakes or anything, tell me. The rating WILL go up, probably to M, so don't be surprised. I threw in some minor Japanese throughout out of habit, I suppose.

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She came to work early, that morning, as she did every day. She came in early, and she stacked the shelves with the essential items that every downtown Tokyo business man needed: cigarettes, melon bread, new papers, chewing gum, condoms, bottled water. Sometimes anju pears when they were in season, too, those always seemed to fly off the shelves. These where the things that consumed her mind every morning before classes.

The days of the Host Club were just memories now, memories that only seemed to come to mind when she lined all the instant coffee on the shelf in the back of the store. Initially, after her graduation, they always seemed to be around. All of them. Tamaki would barge in unannounced whenever she had a paper due, Hunny (with his rather tall shadow in toe) whenever she was cooking, the twins whenever they needed help with their Physics or Chemistry or English homework, which was almost every day.

As the months went by, Tamaki transferred to a French University, became engaged, and lived his life away, preparing to take over Suoh family business. She only heard from him in his annual Christmas card (mostly recently featuring teddy bears building a snowman), which were almost inevitably signed by dear sweet fiancée Rebecca.

Hunny's dojo had opened, somewhere in Kyushu, in the Fukuoka prefecture if she remembered correctly, something like that. She'd only hear from him in his Christmas cards, too, always signed by Mori-sempai. Mori would always write a few paragraphs on the top panel of the card, about how he had graduated from business school, about how he moved to a new apartment, about his new dog, Zatoichi. Mori-sempai would write about Hunny's new prodigies, his new girlfriends, how much taller he'd gotten in the past year, just his latest happenings, too, and would always apologize for how busy his cousin was, and how much they both missed her. Mori always give his address at the end of his latest update, but Haruhi never really had enough to say to respond.

The twins, well, she didn't know where they were. They didn't write, they didn't call, but she wasn't the slightest bit surprised. They were probably on some zany travels, some wacky adventure that Haruhi wouldn't want to be a part of, or so she had concluded.

And Kyouya, well, she hadn't seen him since the day he graduated, since she, the twins, and the new "hostlings", as Tamaki called them, raised their glasses to toast their departing sempais.

And so life moved on and on. Haruhi was studying diligently as ever, having just been accepted into the Toudai Law Studies program. She worked two jobs to pay for her off-campus flat, and watched her life slowly build towards her childhood goals as she stacked newspapers beneath their appropriately printed company sign.

It just happened, one day, when Haruhi was stacking newpapers on the large, green racks that she noticed a familiar face just above the fold. He was an older man, facial hair, glasses… she knew him from somewhere but unable to pinpoint just who he was. Curiously, she unfolded one of the papers to see a rather interesting headline.

Ootori Company CEO and Family Patron Yoshio Ootori Dies of Congestive Heart Failure

_Kyouya's father_, she thought to herself briefly, _he must devastated_. She pulled out her cell phone and opened it, only for her to remember a second later that she hadn't heard from him in over five years.

_I'll write Mori tonight, he probably knows Kyouya's number._ She creased the paper again and added it to the pile, then went into the storeroom to get today's Tokyo Times.

And so the day rolled on without event, she walked to campus, took her morning classes, ate her bento, afternoon classes, and she walked home. She noticed clouds were gathering. It was going to rain that night, no lightening, she checked the weather report during lunch break. She stepped into her apartment, no mail in the mailbox, no messages on the answering machine. And so she eased, slowly, onto the couch, and grabbed the remote.

"-tori Yoshio-san was 63 years old. Next, on sports, the Karps are looking at one of the toughest games of the season!"

_Oh yeah, I should probably write to Mori for that number_.

And so she wrote. She wrote about work, about classes, about making bentos, about stocking coffee and thinking of the way things were. She mentioned Kyouya's father's death, maybe Mori wouldn't have heard in Kyushu, and she asked for his address. She apologized for never writing back. She just never had that much to say.

She just wasn't that interesting.

And she sealed the envelope, walked to the foyer where the postboxes were, and she placed it in the outgoing slot. She looked out the window, briefly, and watched the rain slowly weave its way down the glass. Fascinated, she pressed her fingers lightly to the glass and traced the path of the droplets.

A clamor at the entrance shocked her out of her momentary daze. "Eh! One moment!" she shouted, rushing to the door.

Before her stood a tall, slightly disheveled man, suitcase in each hand, and glasses nearly slipping off the tip of his nose. He jarred his head quickly backwards to readjust his spectacles, sending beads of rainwater from his hair flying into her face.

She rubbed her eyes, half in disbelief and half to wipe the water away, though in actually a greater percentage would go to the former.

"Eh, Kyouya-sempai?" she gawked.

"Haruhi, konbanwa. May I stay here tonight?"


	2. Chapter 2

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Ratings: K+

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A/N: Erudition- Deep, extensive learning. Synonyms: knowledge, sophistication Seems fitting, right? Well, chapter one is over and done, now it's time for chapter two and address each review!  
(Wow, that was pretty tacky)  
Snowcharms: I updated! Yes yes, Kyouya and Haruhi make a fine match, don't they?  
Kat: Thank you very much, glad you like my fic so far.  
Crashx: Glad you're interested!  
ColourfulKyouya-SenpaiMaybeNot: Wow, that's a long pen name! Thanks for the review, I updated, and I think the ending should make a bit more sense in this chapter.  
Kinaba: Eh, I like long and detailed reviews. They make me feel loved. I'm glad you like my style. Sometimes I make things sound a bit too flowery and my repetitive syntax seems more annoying then effective. It's what I get for writing spoken-word poetry…  
thelovablechelsea: Glad you like the plot thus far! Thanks for your upcoming patronage!  
Hope you enjoy this update!  
TooSweet4Words: Thank you!  
Basketballstarhottie: I actually can't stand reading them, but they seem so necessary when writing! It's ironic, eh?  
Rangerette: Thanks, I'm glad you think I'm a good writer.  
Midorineko: Yeah, I'm pretty cruel with the cliffhangers. Kyouya/Haruhi is my main ship (check my dA, I draw Kyouya/Haruhi stuff sometimes) though I do dabble in Mori/Haruhi...  
Here's a brief projection. I'm now expecting this to be 8-9 chapters long. The rating will climb. I'll update when I get the chance. Tell me what you think. I listen to criticism, and I enjoy editing pieces.

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It was a bright Sunday morning. Haruhi spread her arms wide above her head and padded barefoot into her living room. She was greeted by foreign laundry strewn about her once flawlessly neat living room, and a fairly familiar man sleeping across her couch.

And in a moment she remembered.

She remembered doing stock, seeing the paper, walking to class, checking the new, walking home, writing to Mori, going to the post room. She remembered her typically dry day ending with a drenched Kyouya-sempai, standing in the rain.

She remembered leading him upstairs, instructing him to sleep on the couch. They could talk tomorrow. He agreed, talk tomorrow. She pointed out the bathroom, she told him he could take a shower if he wanted, she would be going to bed. He nodded.

And when she awoke, and it was all gone for a moment, until she realized that tomorrow had come.

"Sempai," she said flatly, poking his arm, "sempai, wake up." His lids parted slightly, just enough to shoot her a mordant glare.

"It's already nine o'clock. Time to talk." And so he sat up gravely, and stared at her with blank irritation. "How do you take your coffee?"

"At eleven-thirty, when cultured people wake."

"Very funny, sempai."

He gave a sustained grunt.

She returned a few minutes later with two cups in hand. He took the one offered to him, a pale blue mug with purple flowers. The finish was glossy, with a slight grit that made it almost unpleasant to touch. Cheap. Tacky. The coffee was an odd though familiar grayish color. The taste was something he remembered from so many years ago.

It brought back memories, even though it was still thoroughly atrocious. Haruhi thought, for a moment, she caught him grin into his glass, but in the blink of an eye it was gone, and his typical cynicism was painted across his features.

"I'm sorry about your father."

His eyes grew dark and seemed to dive deep into the glass before looking up to her. "Arigatou, Haruhi."

She sat beside him, her chestnut eyes scanning his features for any sort of clues about what he was feeling. He gave away nothing. "Why did you come here? If you needed some support I could have ju—"

"That's not why I'm here," he replied flatly.

"Eh, what is it then, sempai?"

"I didn't think ahead, I didn't see it coming," he said stoically.

"Eh?"

"My brothers are brilliant, you know, they had me completely fooled."

"Eh?"

"Oh! I've been disowned!" His elevated and acerbic tone cut through the air. "Cast out with nothing, exceptionally orchestrated, really. I probably never would have thought of it. But they _played_ me, oh so well, and father too. They'd had this all waiting in the wings, waiting since I was fourteen. _Fourteen_, Haruhi. I've been a threat to them for years, or so they perceived."

"Oh…"

He took a deep breath in an attempt to subside his perceptible emotion. "I'll leave shortly, Fujioka-san, once I get a job, nothing to worry about. My education should secure me a position shortly. I should have the money to transfer into a hotel by Wednesday, I believe, I just need to make some calls and a few visits."

She sat silently, for a moment, processing all that was said. "Alright. But why not just ask Tamaki-sempai for a few thousand yen for a hotel? I don't think you'll be very _at home_ here."

"I can't," Kyouya replied before swallowing the last sips of his coffee.

Haruhi sighed, "You shouldn't let your pride get the better of you, Tamaki-sempai would completely und—"

"Ha, that's only in part, Haruhi. You still assume too much," he replied in a caustically. "My brothers said they will cut off ties to the Suoh group if I attempt to contact Tamaki for aid. They don't want me 'climbing the ranks', I suppose."

"I mean, you're their brother. Are you really that threatening to them?"

He raised an eyebrow. Her returned glance showed pure sincerity. He couldn't help but laugh abruptly, leaving her baffled.

"I'll set up some meetings today."

"Alright," she replied, "so, what have you been up to, you know, for the past five years, anyway?"

And so he regaled her with stories of studying abroad, in some of the top most American and British universities. He told her about travels and landmarks, all the painfully dull things that most people, he perceived, took interest in. She noticed he didn't mention friends, acquaintances, parties, games; nothing that seemed to imply he'd become someone new. He despite the recent change in his life, he was still the same wry young man.

She offered him another coffee, and after a moment of thought, he accepted.

She went off to work around eleven, to her second job at the coffee shop at the end of the block, leaving him to make his arrangements. She instructed him in how to use her computer, about the wi-fi things he probably understood better that she did, she told him there was ramen in the cabinet if he wanted lunch.

And so he settled in, as much as he could, considering, into her home.

And as Haruhi walked the along her quiet street, in her mind she settled, as much she could, considering, the idea of him staying with her after not a word in five years.

Ouran seemed like yesterday, like neither of them had actually lived since the music room door closed behind them.

It seemed like it was starting over, or perhaps had never ended at all.

And she returned home a bit later than she usually would. She needed to pick up extra udon, leeks, and red cabbage from the market. She had only shopped for one, that week, as she always did, and it seemed for a few days she wouldn't be eating alone. It was fairly pleasant, she mused to herself, to have a bit of a change, maybe a guest now and again.

"Ah. Haruhi. Welcome home." Kyouya said flatly, without turning to look at her as she locked the door. "Make me some lunch, okay?"

She headed, shopping bags in hand, towards the refrigerator. "I told you there was ramen."

"The directions were unclear. I found my attempts to prepare it a bit… unsuccessful. You do it," he said strolling over to her as she unloaded noodles into the fridge.

"It's dinner time anyway. How about we make some gyoza and rice?"

Kyouya scoffed, "We?"

She laughed, not even considering he was serious, and handed him a bundle of scallions.


	3. Chapter 3

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Ratings: K+

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A/N: Erudition- Still showing up? Wow. I really appreciate that. Hopefully this chapter won't disappoint. I've noticed lately that people seem to enjoy the fics with Kyouya being portrayed as crazy evil, and I don't really understand why. I don't think Kyouya is really villainous, just a bit selfish and taciturn. I'm trying to keep him in character, and I don't know if I'm perceiving him wrong or if it's some sort of trend to play him up as a villain that I'm not in on… eh…. Gomen. By the way, I wrote this listening to Blue Shadow by Angela Aki on constant loop. It's a great song, you should get it. Well, anyway, review time!  
Thank you to Rangerette, SnowCharms, and ColorfulKyouya for repeat reviews, glad that you're coming back. Also, I send a big arigatou Lauren, Jaz, Raven, thechickenlittle, Riceball, Hexxed, and unnamed reviewers too. I really appreciate all the positive feedback, but feel free to critique and give personal opinions on what you would like to see, too.  
Oh, and in response to SnowCharms, the other hosts will make an appearance, but that'll be later on.  
Enjoy!

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She left early that morning, not bothering to wake up her resting companion. She had never seen something so amusing, that night, as watching him attempt to cook. He grew flustered quickly, but attempted to contain his frustration. When she dared to chuckle, he gave her a glare that only made her laugh harder. She left him to watch the steamer as she fried some rice. He managed to overcook the gyoza, especially around the edges.

He scowled at her as he ate, as if she had done him some colossal injustice.

Before she walked off to the MiniMart, she placed a package of melon bread and a can of juice on the table beside the couch. She left him a note, "Back at noon", it said, "Haruhi".

He awoke to the sound of a door slamming out in the hallway. It was early, probably eleven o'clock. He sighed and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and remembered, after a moment, where he was. The home of Fujioka Haruhi, Fujioka Haruhi who he had not seen since his childhood 'adventures' had drawn to an anticlimactic close.

"_To Tamaki-sempai and Kyouya-sempai, best of luck for all your days!" Haruhi called, holding up her glass. So many patronesses did the same, tears welling in the corners of their eyes._

"_Kanpai!" The twins tapped their glasses together with an echoing knell, linked arms, and drank. _

_The patronesses crowded about Tamaki, so many declaring their admiration, all attempting to touch their glasses to his._

_And Haruhi, she strolled over to Kyouya as he sat in one of the imposing burgundy armchairs, and smiled down at him, "Kanpai, Kyouya-sempai."_

_With a slight, candid grin, he raised his glass to hers. _

He sighed at his nostalgia, stretching his arms high above his head. Looking down, he noticed what she had left for him and smiled; he was glad he did not need to make something himself.

Cooking was not something he had enjoyed.

He took to preparing himself for the day ahead, readying the suit he brought with him. He decided to take a shower, to comb his hair, to put in his contact lenses, to appear as if nothing in his life was any different.

But something, something intangible, was missing, and he couldn't pinpoint quite what it was.

She happened to walk back into her home as he was tying his shoes. She could tell the loafers probably cost more than her couch. He stood up primly, smoothing his black sports coat. She could tell it cost more than a month's rent.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Though several other words came to mind, words that wouldn't be appropriate to use when speaking of a friend, a friend who was currently living in her house, a friend who she did not want to perceive her as some sort of shameless vixen, she simply said, "Good." The after an awkward pause she continued, "I always thought you looked handsome without your glasses on."

It took him a moment to remember when she had seen him without his glasses on. Upon recalling that incident at the beach house, during his second year, he could feel a mix of intrigue and discomfiture shift within him.

And the awkward silence ensued once again.

He coughed, lightly, as he noticed her eyes wandering to the floor. "May I borrow your car? The office I'm heading to is a few miles away."

"Eh, Kyouya-sempai," she replied perplexedly, "I don't own a car."

"How do you get places, then?"

She shifted her head to the side, "I walk or bicycle. Would you like to borrow that?"

"I wouldn't know how to use it," he said, befuddled.

"You can't ride a bike?" she chuckled.

"Well, I learned to ride a horse instead. Well, actually, I did ride a bike through Tuscany as a child…"

"Well, how about the bus? There's a bus stop at the north end of the block."

He analyzed in his mind which would be worse, haphazardly navigating a bicycle through bustling streets downtown Tokyo with minimal experience or boarding a crowded bus full of commoners with their greasy-fingered children pawing at his Armani suit.

He sighed.

"Where's this bus stop?"

During her Ethical Law Practices class, Haruhi found herself unable to focus on the procedures of prosecuting counterfeiters. She couldn't help but smile as she imagined Kyouya sempai riding the bus, surrounded by everyday pedestrians. She could only imagine if he encountered the panhandler who rode the two-thirty to Tokyo Square.

He would probably make a scene.

When she laughed aloud, her professor gave her a painful glare, but she kept on smiling.

"Quite the impressive list of schools," Nanba Heishiro, Director of the Todoki Shipping company, remarked, "it would be wonderful to have you on staff, how early can you start, Mr….?"

"Ootori Kyouya," he extended his hand, false smile plastered across his face.

"Eh…" Nanba said, an anxious look spreading across his features, "come to think of it, I don't believe that position is open anymore. I'm most sorry, Ootori-san."

"I understand," Kyouya replied, withdrawing. "Feel free to contact me if this arrangement falls through. Thank you for your time."

"You're most welcome," Nanba sighed as Kyouya closed the door behind himself, "too bad, really."

And as the door latched shut he could hear all the pieces connecting in his mind, and all hope seemed to slip out of him. His brothers were far more brilliant than he initially anticipated.

"Welcome home," Haruhi called from the kitchen as she heard him close the door, "how did it go?"

Kyouya slumped onto the couch, pulling off his suit coat and tossing it onto his suitcase.

"Not well?"

"Hai," he muttered.

"Dinner's almost ready. Do you prefer your udon hot or cold?"

"I don't care."

"Hot it is, then," she called back to him, pleasantly.

Kyouya was surprised, that night, with how delightful her curry udon with shrimp tempura tasted, considering it was probably the most inexpensive dish he had eaten in his life.

"This dish had a very nice flavor," Kyouya commented as he finished his last bite of noodles.

"Thanks! My father taught me the recipe, it was one of my mother's favorites," she beamed. "The secret ingredient is nutmeg. May I take your plate?"

As he passed the dish to her, she let her hand linger on his for a moment, "Things will go better tomorrow."

"That's awfully sentimental, Haruhi. Not something I would expect from someone as frank as you."

"Well," she said, standing from the table, "I believe it's true."

And as he watched her scrub the dishes, whistling a familiar tune, he felt unduly content. He shook away the peace he before it could grow too strong, considering today's interview it was completely unfounded.

Hopefully tomorrow would be better; he could only wonder what would happen next.


	4. Chapter 4

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Ratings: K+

* * *

Wow, chapter four! Huttah-tah, I can't believe I haven't given up on this fic yet! I'm actually feeling pretty good, my last chapter fic, Polished, died before it reached chapter 4. But, that was three years ago. Maybe I'm more dedicated now. Now I'm _mature, _obviously, since I'm 18, right? Ha ha, that must be it. I want to finish this before too much school work gets in the way, I'm really actually _enjoying_ writing this one. Hopefully you're enjoying reading it, too! Though, I will tell you this chapter is a bit slow, but it's important, so bear with me.  
I noticed that the my notes were getting really long from the thank yous, so I'm just gonna send a big shout out to all 12 of you who reviewed chapter 3, and another arigatou out to the 32 of you who have this story on alert. If you ever have any questions, I'll probably answer them here . Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

Each interview went as the first.

The name Ootori was heard, and the door was closed.

And locked.

And each day he would come back to Haruhi's apartment to her preparing him dinner, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and she would reassure him each time that he just needed to keep trying, and everything would be alright.

He would watch the news as she studied, and before she would retire for the night, she would ask what he would like for dinner tomorrow. He always said he didn't care.

His pseudo-married-commoner life would feel almost comfortable, at times.

But then it would occur to him, he himself had nothing, no money, no respect, just a name and two suitcases full of clothes. This name, Ootori Kyouya, was slamming every door around him.

He could not accept that he was nothing.

He would not accept this defeat lying down.

He wanted to buy pointless and frivolous things, and enjoy them briefly before casting them aside. He wanted to sleep in, he wanted to eat fois gras beside an above-ground pool. He wanted to be Ootori Kyouya, the hardworking though lethargic, practical but narcissistic young man who was somehow charming in his antipathy.

And so he polished the copper buttons of his suit, each morning, and walked out the door to try again.

Eventually a week went by, then two, and by the third, he decided something had to be done. He would need to rethink his strategy. And so he removed his glasses as he sprawled across her couch, the gears in his mind turning at an alarming speed, racing to restart his former life.

Each day passed in the same fashion.

She would leave before he would awaken, and she would return in time to eat a quick lunch with him before leaving for class or work, whichever the day entailed. She would arrive home in the evening before him, and she would prepare something for them to eat.

Though he never actually said it, she knew he was grateful.

She would work on her schoolwork diligently, and he would watch the news, and she would sit with him on days when she finished her work early. Occasionally she would fall asleep beside him, only to awaken with herself lying alone on the couch, blanket draped over her, and his tall frame resting in the armchair by the window.

The loneliness that she used to feel, passing each day alone in quiet monotony, seemed to fade away. Three weeks went by and then another, and he would come home every day with increasing melancholy, though she could feel something within him rapidly changing.

It happened, one Saturday morning, that when she picked up the mail from the mailbox she noticed a perfectly scripted envelope.

Morinozuka Takashi

She took it inside, and read the contents with a smile. Mori was well, he was so glad that she wrote back, finally. He had been worried about her, as had Hunny. He said he admired her hard work, that it was good to see she hadn't changed since he and Hunny had moved to Kyushu. He mentioned seeing Renge-chan the previous week, at a business gala of some sort, and she was glad to hear that Haruhi was doing well, too. When he mentioned that Haruhi was actually a girl, without even thinking she didn't know, Renge was absolutely shocked. Mori had laughed quite hard.

As did Haruhi, grinning down at the letter.

He proceeded to say he hadn't been able to reach Kyouya when he heard of Ootori Yoshio's death either. He was worried when the card he sent to the Ootori estate was returned. He knew Kyouya must be upset, more upset than he would let on. Tamaki had been asking him for Kyouya's address, too. Wedding invitations. Mori requested if she heard from Kyouya, to send him his regards and sympathies.

He signed the letter with his perfect, curved letters, and in the post script implored that she write him again. He really did miss her.

And so she wrote back, she didn't quite know how to write 'Kyouya is ruined and lives on my couch is quiet misery', so she just wrote that she'd seen him quite a bit lately, and she'd be more than willing to forward any mail or messages he or Tamaki might have. She said he didn't seem nearly as distraught as Mori had suggested. She'd send him his regards, though. She said that she had been studying like crazy, even though her time was getting more and more limited (without mentioning that was due to their friend the shadow king). She told him she hoped she could make it to Tamaki's wedding, but she didn't know where she would get the money for a plane ticket and a hotel. She was sure it would opulent, something as grand and luxurious and borderline insane. She'd expect nothing less.

And she sealed the envelope and dropped it in the outgoing mail slot, just in time to see Kyouya walk through the foyer door.

"Konbanwa, Kyouya-sempai," she greeted, looking into his dark eyes. She surveyed them as deeply as she could, looking for this pain Mori was convinced was there.

"Haruhi," he sighed, "lets go on a trip tomorrow."

"Where to?" she questioned.

"To my father's grave."

She was ashamed that she never noticed what was apparently there all along.

And so at the table, that night, after they ate a brief dinner, she took out her map of the bus routes. They would have to transfer twice, and it would probably take them an hour each way. She didn't mind. It was Sunday, no classes or work, and she didn't have anything planned. He gave her an uncharacteristic, sad smile, and suggested they go early in the morning.

"I'm here if you need me," she said softly as she sat beside him on her couch.

He turned his head slightly, unsure of what to say. She gave him a sympathetic smile, and placed her hand on his.

And simultaneously in each of them, something questioned. Something wondered where the line was drawn, the line that determined if they were friends from something deeper, roommates or a bit more intimate.

They both wanted something more.

But all they did was send a passive smile from one to the other, and listened to an interview with Hiseki Hiromi about her new album, Jazz Girl Orange. She said she was hoping to bring interest in ska to Japan, and would be going on tour in the fall.

"Sounds interesting," Haruhi sighed.

"Quite."

And they nodded off to sleep together, sitting side by side on her beige couch, inches apart without touching.


	5. Chapter 5

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Ratings: K+

* * *

Chapter five! Amazing! I just keep going and going. I actually think this might not be 8-9 chapters as I initially projected, but rather more like 12-15, I felt that certain things needed to be added to make the story more… believable. I do like when things are believable. I hope you do to, because otherwise I've been doing things really wrong. By the way, can you feel the tension building? I like tension.  
A big old arigatou for all the reviews is in order! **ARIGATOU**! And we're up to 41 watches, wowzerz! Thanks for the feedback and crit, everyone! I'm hoping I'm making the story better as I progress, but keep telling me what you think!  
Oh, for what you've said said, I hope this chapter clarifies the situation.

* * *

Kyouya woke up before Haruhi for the first time since he arrived at her doorstep. He inspected her closely as she slept beside her on the couch, an almost blissful smile spread across her features.

Before he let his mind take motion, he stood and began sifting through his suitcases for something to wear.

"You know," she yawned, stretching her arms high above her head, "you can have the coat closet to hang your things, I mean, I only have two coats, anyway."

He turned to her and shook his head, "I'll be leaving eventually, sometime soon, probably, no need to take up your space."

She didn't argue; she knew it was fruitless.

He dressed in a simple sweater and dark pants and slid his glasses onto the tip of his nose. She returned to the living room also dressed darkly, maps under her arm, hands full of melon bread and cranberry juice.

They ate as they sat on the thirty-three to Tokyo Square. The bus lines were particularly quiet. There were only three other riders, a woman and her two young daughters, all of whom seemed fascinated by the bespectacled boy as he ate his breakfast. The three seem to misconstrue his glances as somewhat flirtatious when they meant to say "please, stay away of me".

The older daughter, who looked to be somewhere around twelve years old, actually approached Kyouya as he opened his can of cranberry juice (which let out a fairly imposing hiss).

"May I sit here?" she asked, pointing cutely to the seat beside him.

He shrugged, continuing to chew his melon bread.

Just as the girl attempted to park herself beside Kyouya, her mother grasped her shoulders firmly, pulling her away. "Kimi! I'm so sorry sir that my foolish daughter bothered you and your girlfriend," the woman apologized firmly, testing the water with her comment.

He looked up to her from his cranberry juice and nodded.

The water was frozen through.

When they left the bus at the Tokyo Square stop, Haruhi couldn't bring herself to ask why he hadn't contradicted the woman. She knew it was probably nothing, that he ignored commoners, or that he just wanted her to leave him be, but it gnawed at the corner of her mind.

As she checked the schedule for the Twelve to the north side, he peered down at her, "Don't get the wrong idea, I just wanted them to stay away from us."

And she smiled despite her natural inclinations and proceeded to check to make sure they needed to take the Nine and not the Sixty Seven.

Another word was not exchanged until they were on the Eighty to Chiba.

"I've come to a realization," Kyouya said flatly, passing a glance to Haruhi as she adjusted her shoelaces. She stared at him for a moment, before he continued, "I have to change the way I'm approaching this."

"What are you talking about?" she questioned, tying a quick double knot.

"I've quite obviously been blacklisted by my brothers. It was obvious from my initial attempts. My brothers are definitely being informed of my actions. Each time I apply for a job a rung down the corporate ladder, they are already one step ahead."

"Are you going to use a pseudonym, or something?"

Kyouya chuckled, "That's something I'd only expect someone the likes of Renge-chan to consider. There's no way it would work, they would wise up quickly, probably have me thrown in jail for fraud. The secret police are probably growing restless under Sesuke and Toshiro." She shrugged.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll get a position abroad," he purposed, his glasses flashing a bright and fiendish glare, "something competitive. They probably don't know about Kirk and Jenson back at Yale, I just need to make a few calls."

"How can you work out of the country, customs and visas and such—"

"Oh, I have dual citizenship. I was actually born in California when my parents were traveling to a gala. My brothers are full well aware, so they probably have some outlying tactics for my father's west coast associates, but almost certainly not the connections I have on the east."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" she sighed.

And he laughed in response and then proceeded to brainstorm aloud.

He was coming back, she thought, the Kyouya she knew from so many years ago, with the confident smile and the calculating glances, with the strength of will and character was finally resurfacing after all his previous defeats.

The Shadow King was truly rising from the ashes.

"Welcome to the Nemuri Shrine and Cemetery Directory. How may I help you?" A bright eyed attendant asked as they walked into the large building that lay at the edge of the graveyard territory. She bowed slightly as Kyouya approached the desk.

"Could you call an escort to the Ootori family plot?" he asked casually, leaning against the desk.

She nodded and picked up a rather cheerful looking pink-patterned phone. "You know, I think we still have some memorial cards left from the services…. Would you like one?"

The woman fished through the deep desk as she chatted pleasantly with one of the groundskeepers. She passed a card both, though she inspected the picture closely as she passed it to Kyouya. She hung up the phone with a light tap and bowed once more.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she sighed, "you look very much like your….. uncle?"

"Father," Kyouya said flatly, nudging his glasses up slightly.

"Oh, I thought I remembered his two sons from before, I guess I'm mistaken!"

"I'm his third son."

"Oh! My apologies, Ootori-sama. The driver should be here shortly," Kyoya turned quickly and walked out the door, Haruhi following close behind, "have a nice day!"

"Deplorable oaf," he growled as the door slammed, "completely inappropriate girl!"

His eyes were hidden behind his reflective lenses, though she sensed that his tone displayed more pain than anger.

The ride was silent, except for the sound of Kyouya's foot tapping heavily against the floor. Haruhi noted the lavishness of the gravestones.

Even in death, opulence was the proper way of an Ootori.

He lit incense near the settling earth and prayed silently. When he finished, Kyouya ran his finger over his own name on the family headstone, commenting wryly on the fact his brothers hadn't had it removed.

Haruhi felt a bit uncomfortable. She didn't know why he asked her to come with him, considering he seemed as if he didn't need her there at all. As she braced herself for a nearly-psychic response, he turned to her.

"Let's head back."

No answer was given to her silent question, not in the long ride and lengthy stroll back to her south end apartment. He was generally quiet, intermittently commenting on trivial things to which she had little relevant response.

It was after dark when they arrived back at her beige apartment and welcomed by her beige couch and Hiseki Hiromi performing live on the televised news, none of which seemed not to offer any solace until the smell of stir fried string beans and pleasantly familiar whistling spread throughout the room. Dinner was eaten quietly, as the Jazz Girl Orange music video aired for the first time.

Hiromi was, somewhat ironically, dressed in beige.

She stood from the table, somewhat suddenly though despite her concerned smile, not bothering to put away her empty plate. "Come here," she beckoned, with a sweeping gesture, into her room.

He followed curiously into her bedroom, which he hadn't entered since his arrival. He looked at her flawlessly pressed bedding and a silenced any thoughts pertaining to them. He knew his place.

She walked over to a small cabinet by the window. She took a small picture frame from atop it, and slid the photograph she had taken from the cemetery office and placed it inside.

The she placed the portrait of Ootori Yoshio in her humble shrine, beside a picture of her mother. She lit a stick of incense and placed it in the small burner.

It smelled like orchids and lavender.

It all occurred to him in an instant. Each day, she did so much for him, she sacrificed and she smiled and she sighed and she made him forget sometimes just what was occurring. She made what he would have expected to be the darkest days bearable, and even, on occasion, happy.

She turned to Kyouya and smiled, kneeling before the memorial. He came and stooped beside her and took her hand in his.

"Thank you, Haruhi," he said.

He had never meant something so sincerely in his life.


	6. Chapter 6

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: K+

* * *

NOT ABANDONED! This fic was NOT ABANDONED. I just got a bit SWAMPED…

Well, here we are at chapter six. Six Chapters! My second longest fic (in chapters, not length). Wow. Milestone! I wish I could take a picture of it, but that would really be a waste of time. Rather, I should draw more Kyouya/Haruhi fanart. If only I had a scanner… eh, eventually I'll post more, though. But that's art, and this is writing so let's go!

Thanks for the reviews! Thanks for the watches and the faves, and all the love ya'll send my way. Most appreciative!

And ColorfulKyouya, I meant Hiromi. Hiromi Hiseki is a _very _minor recurring character, meant to be used as symbolic (somewhat) in the story. I will make reference to her on occasion, as I did in chapters four and five, throughout the rest of the story.

Oh, and for Strify's comment. A couple of lines before, I said the woman who was making a pass at Kyouya made a pass at him to test the water. The water was frozen basically was a play on words that meant he didn't reciprocate.

And for the question that everyone keeps asking about things heating up, oh, it will happen, don't worry. I'm trying to build a mood. Good things come to those who wait.

And now, ONWARD!

* * *

It surprised Haruhi on Wednesday morning that Kyouya was gone before she had even awakened. With her logical and deductive mind, it occurred to her she should look about for his suitcases. After a thorough inspection Haruhi didn't manage to locate them, and she felt her heart skip a beat before it dawned on her.

This wasn't his home.

And she sighed and straightened out her hair in the hallway mirror, put on her functional pair of sneakers and slipped her contacts into her eyes. She threw open the closet, intending to get her jacket.

At which point she saw his suitcases, neatly stacked against the floor, his clothes folded awkwardly on the shelves, and his suit coats and jeans hanging wryly and slightly askew. She smiled to herself as she pulled one of her own jackets (which happened to be hidden behind what was something like a track suit). She glanced once into the mirror down the hallway and headed down the street.

The weather was certainly pleasant. The sky was bright, the birds were singing, and the streets were empty. A diminished and quiet joy seemed to float from the soles of her feet and linger limply at the edges of her mind, a happiness that the life she had grown to enjoy was still solidly grounded.

She opened the door marked 'Convenient Square' after a rather fast stroll, considering how late she was running. She grabbed her apron off the rack as the bells chimes faded away.

"Seven minutes late, Fujioka-chan," a drab voice chastised her from beside the time cards.

And when she looked up from tying the red straps behind her back there stood someone a bit too familiar.

"…Kyouya-sempai? What are you doing here?"

"Eh! Haruhi-chan," called a familiar and friendly voice. At the desk sat Mazaka Akane, the day manager, typing away. "Your boyfriend there asked me not to tell you I hired him. Gomen for the surprise."

"Eh?"

"And don't worry," Akane beamed, approaching the smaller girl, "I won't tell anyone that he lives with you. It's delightfully dangerous for someone like you."

"Eh?!"

"It's so romantic! High school sweethearts, trying to make in on their own in the big city, the whole world against them… Ahhhh, just like a K-drama! All you need is a heinous villain or two and a dramatic romantic rivalry an…."

While Kyouya stood there, thoroughly amused by his good work and the comic Renge-reminiscent rants of Mazaka Akane, a shocking pain began to rise up his arm and linger in the back of the throat. Upon looking down, he saw a pair of brown eyes (with a intermittent flash of red) and two small hands attempting to put claw their way through his biscept.

"What… did you… DO!?" Haruhi hissed, her grip continuing to tighten.

With a coy smile he replied, "You're nine minutes late for your shift, Haru-chan."

"That's right! Just because you're dating the new day manager doesn't mean you can come in late, Haruhi-chan! You're just getting more and more rebellious, aren't you?"

She released her grasp as a cold horror descended from the top of her head down the tips of her toes at rapid speed. "New day manager?"

"Oh, I haven't told you?" Akane gasped, her cheeks reddening, "I'm getting married! I'll be leaving as soon as Kyou-kun here is trained."

And she stood there for a moment, flabbergasted, dumbstruck, and defeated. To think, mere minutes before she was worried he had left.

* * *

There was a substantial amount of time (during which she stocked the shelves, swept the floors, and took inventory) that Haruhi spent with not only dread coursing through her but also a certain tinge of curiosity.

"Would you like to go out for coffee before your afternoon classes," Kyouya asked as she punched out, placing a hand on her forearm "Haru-chan?"

A fraction of a second after her heart foolishly skipped a beat, somewhere behind her Haruhi could hear Mazaka-san squeak a little cheer. She then acknowledged the invitation as a show, her heart sinking somewhere onto the floor. With a sigh and a shake of her head she marched out the door. With a bow to his co-worker Kyouya trotted out the door.

He caught up to her quickly, grasping at her shoulder, "Haruhi."

"Dropping the honorific since the big show's over?" she spat, turning whirling around. "It's not a surprise considering you've never shown me one ounce of respect in the past six, maybe seven years!"

He stood there, silent, and said nothing. The glint of his glasses hid any trace of expression.

"Do you know how much trouble I could get in? What if my landlord finds out, now? Then we'll _both _be living on the street, just imagine that!"

Silence.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why?"

"Sit," he said flatly, pointing at the steps to a closed electronics store, "and listen."

She did as he said not because he had said to, or so she told herself, but because she was not thinking clearly and just responded. Fujioka Haruhi was not in the business of taking orders, not since she stepped out of Ouran Academy, especially not from (formerly) rich bastards who enjoyed toying with her.

"I saw in the paper there was a spot opening in a management position. I went in to interview. It went well, as it is just a small business and I'm well over qualified, and that woman who interviewed me, Mazaka-san, was it, asked for information on where I lived. Naturally, I gave your address, as it is where I'm living, isn't it?

"So, as she was pleasantly enough typing in the information, it popped up that there was already an employee living at this address. That would be you. And so Mazaka gave me this sideways glance and said that Fujioka Haruhi-san lives at this address. So, taking into account Mazaka-san's attitude and behavior, I concocted a small bit of a story on why we had the same address. It went off with flying colors, as you saw. I thought you could pick up the role quite flawlessly, though I appear to be found mistaken."

"I finished playing roles when I left the Host Club," she sighed, placing her head in her hands, "I finished danger and I finished drama and --"

"What would you have had me do?" He snapped, "What would you have done differently?"

She said nothing.

"Well, Haruhi?"

"I don't know."

"I'll be out of your home soon enough. I have an in-depth monetary plan, I'll show you at dinner tonight," he said flatly, nudging his glasses up his nose. He turned briskly, beginning the short walk back to 'Convenient Square'.

"Wait."

He paused for a moment and turned back, offering an expression she couldn't quite decipher.

"I'm sorry, Kyouya-sempai."

He nodded once and continued on his way.

And so Haruhi made her way back to her apartment, alone, trying to determine just what she was feeling before she left for her History of Law lecture.


	7. Chapter 7

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

Wow, it's been one chapter since it took me AEONS to update, but here I am! Back again! With another chapter for you! Oooo, did you notice above? The rating just climbed. Climbed! Will it climb again? Certainly. Is that why you've stuck with the fic this long? Hopefully not.

Oh, someone asked me how much time passed between chapters 1-6, and about ages and seasons in the story. The answer for how much time elapsed is a month. I actually hadn't even thought of that, then I reread all the chapters and determined that I'd written 3 weeks had passed then skipped from Saturday to Wednesday, so, that's about a month. The time of year is pretty much October-November. Haruhi's in her first year of graduate college. As Kyouya studied abroad, he had more opportunities to finish college sooner. This would make Haruhi about 22 and Kyouya around 23/24.

* * *

Ootori Kyouya could not quite grasp quite what he was feeling. It was something like frustration, with a touch of something more hurt, but not as deep as betrayal. Whatever this nameless emotion was, it gnawed at him, right at the back of his throat, making him want to scream or sigh, he didn't quite know which, as he finished the rest of his orientation with Mazaka-san. But, as he always did, he stood there and smiled that disingenuous smile and fooled everyone he met.

He was sick of being insincere. He was sick of being more Ootori than Kyouya.

He was sick of being the same even though everything had changed.

And so he walked back home, or more precisely, what he had recently grown to consider his home, the small Tokyo apartment of Fujioka Haruhi. He walked up the unimpressive stairs to the complex, lingered at the handle momentarily before opening the door.

"Surprise," a small burst of confetti popped before him, "Happy Birthday?"

Haruhi stared at Kyouya from a few feet away and he blinked once, then twice, then once more, before bursting into a roaring laughter. Haruhi laughed awkwardly as Kyouya wiped the corner of his eyes.

"I know I'm about three days early but it's more surprising if, you know," she explained weakly, waving her hands about, "if it's… uh…. really unexpected… I made dinner!"

"You made dinner," he said as he recomposed himself.

"Hn. I made all the things I though you'd like, extra spicy the way you like them, nothing too sweet, noodles hot, not cold, curried vegetables, and I got a pretty nice bottle of koshu. I didn't know if you like koshu or not but you know it's pretty nicely aged…"

And there was a pause, silence, and another lock of eyes.

"I sound like an idiot," she said, flatly. "I guess I just wanted to say I'm sorry about today, and maybe do something special."

"Thank you, Haruhi," he said with a smile, letting his heart show more then he usually would. Why not? They were friends, living together, young, happy, and there weren't nearly as many strings weighing down his actions.

He might as well enjoy being just Kyouya while he could.

She smiled back, a smile that was remarkably tranquil, a smile that suggested all was right again. She took him by the hand and led him to the table before piling plate after plate of delicious dishes and pouring the koshu,

"Kanpai, Kyouya-sempai," she said, the nostalgia of his last day in the Host Club rushing back to him, and the memory of who he was on that day weighing down on the moment that was occurring.

"Just Kyouya."

"Eh?"

"Just Kyouya," he repeated, lifting his sake to hers, "I haven't been your sempai for years."

"Kanpai, Kyouya" (the way she said Kyouya was slow and labored, as if she was reciting some foreign phrase) and tapped her glass to his.

The dinner was pleasant, delicious at that, and the bottle of koshu had the most distinct bitter-honey flavor. It went down smooth, glass after glass. Considering she seldom drank, by the end of the bottle Haruhi felt the slightest bit unsteady but remarkably chipper.

"So, Kyouya, what do you want for a gift?" Haruhi asked plainly as she sat down slightly closer to him on the couch than she typically would.

"I don't need anything," he replied, having given his birthday no thought considering his predicaments. She let out a rather uneven laugh that seemed a tad out of character.

She placed her hand firmly on his thigh, leaning in slightly, "It doesn't matter what you _need_. You can't tell me there's nothing you _want_."

He blinked down at her hand, again and again, before he felt his glasses being slid off the tip of his nose. He looked over at Haruhi as she placed the spectacles over her own eyes and smiled. "Maybe some new frames would be nice," she said, tipping her head from side to side, the bridge of sliding left to right. She seemed a bit too amused by what she was doing, being just a bit too capricious.

"Careful with those," he chided, reaching forward.

"Careful, careful, careful… Maybe you could use something fun for once. What would be _fun, _Kyouya-sempai?" The hand upon his leg moved back and forth thoughtlessly as she pondered possible gifts.

"Fun?" he asked, clenching his teeth to orient himself, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know… maybe a Gameboy? Sudoku booklets?" With her free hand she tapped the corner of his frames, which she still wore, "You know, it's pretty interesting that we have about the same prescription." She gave his leg a slight squeeze.

With that, he reached over and took back his glasses. He adjusted them over his own nose and attempted to give a pleasant smile. He stood up, straightened his shirt, and took a deep breath. Haruhi looked up at him, slightly perplexed.

"Maybe I should ask what it is that _you_ want, Haruhi."

"Why do you ask?" she said, obviously confused.

He tilted his head to the side and smiled again, "…I see. Well, I'll give it some thought, alright?"

"Good!"

"Well, I think I left something back at the store, I'll be back shortly, alright?"

"Alright," she replied with a sigh, "see you later."

He walked out of her apartment quickly and sat on the stoop. His mind was reeling and his whole body ached in frustration.

What he wanted? He wanted her. Problem was, he didn't want to take advantage of her when she was possibly inebriated and didn't have any idea of the torture she was inflicting on him. He didn't want to do something that would deter his chances of gaining her affection.

He had recently determined that more than anything, he wanted her affection.

Kyouya walked to the shop where he worked, and upon noting that the sign read "closed" let himself in with his newly bestowed key. He grabbed a box of cigarettes (though he hadn't had a smoke since his summer in Ireland he had a rather strong craving at that moment), a lighter, a pack of gum to hide the smell, and a box of condoms. He put the money for them in the cash box, since he had emptied the register that night.

He slid the protection into his wallet, reasoning with himself it is better safe than sorry, put the gum into his pocket and lit a cigarette that he finished by the time he reached the apartment again.

She was already in bed, asleep, when he opened the door.

He sat down on the couch and unwrapped a piece of gum watched a story on a duet album with Hiseki Hiromi and Ketori Shino and rumors about a possible relationship between the two. Feeling frustrated and a bit envious, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

So here we are at Chapter Eight. I STRUGGLED to write seven, I really did. Not that I didn't want to write it, I assure you, it's just I wrote it all out and HATED it and edited it again and again until it turned out short and not smutty at all. I don't know, I'm trying to build up tension.

Well, where the story begins to change direction a bit. The other Host Boys will enter the scene again in the next few chapters(save Mori who has been 'around' since the beginning of the story). I'm scared of writing them, I really am, hopefully I'll be able to.

Luckily, writing this chapter went far smoother than its predecessor. I actually like putting in a touch of humor in what I write, and this is one of the few opportunities I've had to do such. But then again, Tamaki will soon make an entrance and there of course is no Tama-kun with comedy!

* * *

Haruhi woke up the next morning particularly on edge. She was embarrassed that during her attempt at being flirtatious last night absolutely nothing was reciprocated. When he announced that she may drop honorifics she thought this signified, perhaps, that he felt close to her, that perhaps he was finally letting her into his heart and not just his life. But when she assumed she gave him the opportunity to escalate their relationship from friendship to something more he up and left.

After seeing her as a boy since the day they met, of course he wouldn't be attracted to her now.

But she would notice some nights how his hand would linger over hers when he would pass her the dishes, or that his eyes would lock for a moment too long with hers after they would speak, or that he would watch her as she'd walk back and forth across the apartment, or some miniscule little sign that would suggest to her that perhaps maybe, just maybe of course, be interested in more than her apartment and cooking.

It was at times like these she wished she had female friends to confide in.

But, apart from occasional letters from Mori, an intermittent visit from her father, and Kyouya, she seemed to live a fairly limited list of people with who she actually really _spoke_ with.

She stretched her limbs that ached from the slight buzz she attained the night before, and walked into the kitchen. Kyouya was already seated at the table, drinking a cup of tea and reading the paper.

"Morning," he said, folding the paper and placing it on the table beside home, "so, you don't work Thursdays, right?"

"I work my other job, at the Café down on West Street since I have morning classes," she replied curtly, "Would you like some breakfast?" He nodded.

"It's surprising that I've been here a month and I never knew you had two different jobs," he said as he watched her scoop rice out of the steamer.

"I guess," She reached into the cabinet and pulled out a box of dried seaweed to put atop the rice.

He looked down at his tea and Haruhi could have sworn she heard a slight sigh. "Are you free for lunch this afternoon?" Haruhi felt her heart skip in one of the fanciful effeminate ways she had read about. "I have those financial matters to discuss with you, remember." Then she was back to normal.

"Eh, I suppose I could talk to you on break. I take it between one and one thirty," she placed the two bowls on the table, "if you'd like to stop by."

They ate in a somewhat awkward silence and before they both went into separate rooms to dress, walked out the door together and went in opposite directions.

* * *

It was around twelve o'clock when Haruhi heard some of the other waitress clamoring about some attractive young man entering the restaurant. She glanced at her watch and realized it must not have been Kyouya. It was surprising, though, when the girls mentioned he had asked specifically for Fujioka Haruhi.

And when she stepped out from the kitchen she immediately spotted Morinozuka Takashi, lounging casually at a small table.

"Are you free?" he asked in his typical low tone, "It's fairly important."

When she frowned his face grew uncharacteristically concerned, at which point she knew enough to dismiss herself for the rest of the afternoon.

"What's wrong?" Haruhi asked, "Are you alone?"

"Hunny had things to do at the dojo," Mori explained as he ushered her out of the restaurant and into a rather elaborate and obviously expensive car, only to drive her the two blocks back to her home.

"What are we doing back here?" she questioned as they both exited the car.

"I have something for you. In the trunk."

And when Mori opened the back hatch of his car, Haruhi gazed down with a horror she hadn't experienced since high school.

* * *

Kyouya entered the 'West Side Café' at one o'clock, he couldn't help but feel endeared to the restaurant. The distinct smell of chamomile (which he recognized on Haruhi on occasion, he thought it was perfume), the pristine neatness, and the contemporary décor reminded Kyouya of something he would have seen in Paris.

He stepped up to hostess, who surveyed him up and down before raising her eyebrows. He felt a small bit of pride after feeling completely unwanted the previous evening. "What may I do for you?" the woman's tone seemed to add another dimension to the words completely.

"I'm looking for Fujioka Haruhi-san, please," he said, sliding his glasses off and placing them in his chest pocket. The hostess raked her tongue across her top teeth and looked to her side.

"Fujioka-chan left about an hour ago with some other man, sorry," she replied, "but I can tell you I get off shift in ten minutes if you're in need of company…"

"Well," Kyouya replied, "as fun as it sounds, I have some rather imminent business to attend to. Good day to you, miss."

"Akimoto Karin," she said, "next time you come I hope you'll ask for me instead."

He offered her a smile before he walked out the door. Some other man? What other man could it be? Ranka-san would have a much more… colorful description from a stranger. Who else was there? Did she have friends he didn't know about, that she never cared to mentioned?

It occurred to Kyouya that maybe he didn't know Fujioka Haruhi at all.

He decided to walk back to the apartment. Maybe Haruhi and this mystery man were at her apartment. She wouldn't expect to see her 'roommate' there. Maybe she had a boyfriend she never failed to bring up? Maybe she had been waiting all these weeks for an opportunity to have some 'alone time' with this 'other man'.

After all, it was quite clear she wasn't his.

The idea made him crave a cigarette, which he had conveniently lying in wait in his left pocket. _Kami-sama, it tastes even better than last night,_ Kyouya thought to himself as he inhaled as slowly as humanly possible.

He had nearly finished a second cigarette by the time he reached the apartment. He flicked the butt onto the ground and and satisfyingly ground it to dust under his foot before jogging up the stairs, fuming at the scenario he concocted in his head.

And when he reached the door he felt his teeth clench with sort of painful anticipation, as if the rest of his life relied on what lay behind its frame.

"Unhhhh," he heard her grunt from the bedroom, "It's too tight, it hurts."

Kyouya felt as if he could faint onto the floor if his frustration didn't keep him standing.

"Sorry," another familiar voice he couldn't quite place responded, "let me help."

"Please," she grunted again.

At this point Kyouya stamped over to the bedroom door and threw it open with a rather excessive amount of force.

And facing him he saw Haruhi, in an elaborate ballroom dress, with Morinozuka-sempai, adjusting the corseted back of said gown. They both stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, at the glowing red face of the typically cool Ootori Kyouya.

"Kyouya-san, konichiwa," Mori cracked a slight smile, "it's been too long."

Kyouya looked forward silently dumbfounded, his face still red and pulsing, and Haruhi looked back with a mix of confusion and what may be even amusement splayed across her features.


	9. Chapter 9

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

Wasn't that ending fun? When I visualized it I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Well, as for last chapter I hope in cleared up the chapter before it a bit. That is to say, it's not like Haruhi was trashed or something, but just the slightest bit, I don't know, emboldened, but was completely aware of just what she was doing. Also, I wanted to clarify that the feelings are completely reciprocated between the two of them, which I wasn't quite sure I properly established.

I just want to thank the patrons of my little Erudition, to all who have reviewed the story (I never would have guessed I'd get over 100 reviews!), the 100+ of you on alert, and all the readers who enjoy this story. Now, I suppose, it's time for me to actually get to the story! Hurrah!

BY THE WAY: this chapter is a little bit longer than those that have preceded it, but it's essential, so…

* * *

"Oh, Kyouya-sempai," Haruhi mumbled, realizing the sheer oddity this situation must have in Mori-sempai's mind. "I'm sorry I missed you this afternoon."

"Uhnn?" Mori tipped his head to the side as he finished retying the back or Haruhi's dress.

"Ah, you see," Kyouya explained, "as I've been somewhat nearby lately, Haruhi and I have been spending a bit of time together…"

"We meet for lunch every Thursday…" Haruhi continued.

"Yes, and when Haruhi didn't arrive today I grew a bit… concerned," Kyouya concluded, "but I suppose I didn't need to worry. I'll excuse myself, if you two are… busy."

"No," Mori grunted, "I was meaning to see you."

"Really," Kyouya replied, "whatever for?"

"A delivery," Mori said simply, strolling over to a rather large box situated in the corner of the room, "from Tamaki-san." Kyouya also walked over to the package, pulling an envelope from the front that read 'Mon Ami, Kyouya'.

Haruhi couldn't help but notice the pain across Kyouya's face as he ran his finger over the lettering. She hadn't considered how much he had missed Tamaki. They _were_ best friends, after all. When his brothers denied him communication with Tamaki, they not only destroyed a chance at getting back into his regular lifestyle, but they had taken away his support and confidant.

His brothers left Kyouya with less than nothing, they left him lacking.

Fujioka Haruhi wondered as she closed her door and stepped out of the strikingly elaborate dress if Kyouya would be allowed to go to Tamaki's wedding. The bridesmaid's dress Tamaki had sent her (in the precise and dependable care of Mori) she could only imagine was accompanied by some equally ornate and opulent tuxedo. Actually, considering what she had seen, the box to Kyouya seemed strikingly larger that the one with her dress in it, there had to be something more.

The curiosity gnawed at her as she pulled on a fairly formal dress she had in her bedroom closet and strolled back out into her living room.

Kyouya had neatly unpacked a beautifully pristine white tuxedo, a black shirt, silver tie and cummerbund and laid them upon her couch. He was now sorting through boxes upon boxes of photographs Tamaki had packed for him, ranging from their earliest travels in middle school to the last time they had seen each other, which happened to be at a formal business gala, each in tuxedos, drinking champagne.

Haruhi felt a sadness sweep over her as she watched Kyouya attempt to remain composed as he sorted through the snapshots.

"Join us for lunch," Mori suggested, tapping Kyouya on the shoulder, "at Trois Arbres?"

Kyouya looked up and gave him a bland glance, "Go on ahead, I'll meet with you once I get this all back to my residence."

The two men nodded to each other before they were to part ways. Haruhi walked out close behind Mori who was making a hasty retreat. She shot one last glance back at Kyouya, whose face was hidden from her by the arm of the sofa. "I hope you'll join us, Sempai." And she closed the door.

* * *

Kyouya couldn't help but pause on a particular photograph as he sifted through the piles of hundreds of snapshots. It featured himself, Tamaki, Haruhi, the twins, and the new hostlings they had hand picked to continue on the legacy of the club. It was the first 'Host Club Unveiling' and the highest grossing event in club history. And in this picture, Haruhi and Tamaki stood smiling, the twins embracing, and the three new hosts standing pristine and proper in their freshly pressed uniforms, beaming with pride.

Kyouya was in the corner with his notebook, going over figures with a insipid expression across what could be seen of his face.

This was his life for so many years! It felt distant now, it felt pointless. What good did these numbers do him? How much did he have to show for each dollar that slipped through his fingers? But, in his mind, be couldn't help but feel as if he were more comfortable back then, as if he were more at peace, as if now something just didn't seem to fit.

Ootori Kyouya did not belong anywhere.

With a wry smile he looked back over to the letter from Tamaki he had yet to open. He dreaded it. It was hard to believe how much Kyouya missed his bizarre, annoying, exasperating best friend. He could only imagine what Tamaki must think about his sudden disappearance from the social scene, the stop of letters, visits, phone calls… Tamaki probably assumed something terrible, something dramatic and worse than atrocious, and had probably worried himself into oblivion.

__

Well, at least it may be slightly humorous, in a heartbreaking way,

Kyouya thought drolly to himself.__

Kyouya, my most dear and trusted friend,

I miss you. Where have you been? I know times must be hard for you with your father's death, but I don't understand why you won't just come to me. I've talked to Sesuke. I've talked to Tashiro. They seem to imply that you're off on some sort of new venture, but they won't tell me anything. Fuyumi is distant, she won't say hardly anything and seems quite distraught over you. No one in the industry has told me anything about you. It's as if you disappeared without a word to anyone, not even me.

Where are you, Kyouya?

I worried myself sick for what seems like years, even though it's only been a month, and I have heard nothing but sighs or plaintive, useless responses. Then all of a sudden, I hear from Mori-sempai that you've been spending your time with Haruhi! At first I was hurt, so hurt, that you turned to our darling daughter with your sorrows and lamentations and not to me. Then, after several lamentations of my own, I realized through the aid of my darling Rebecca that perhaps Haruhi's support is what you truly need, and not mine.

But remember, my dearest, most beloved friend, that I am always here. Simply fly up and I will take you into my consoling bosom and shower you with all the support and care you need, whether it is a trip to Cancun (which is simply beautiful this time of year), the cooking of the best chef in all of France, or even a commoner's film night rife with greasy popcorn and low-definition DVDs. Anything I have is yours, my dear friend, only say the word!

And now, my dear friend, is where I come to ask you for something. I want you to be my best man at my wedding. No cannot be an answer. It simply can not be your response because I would sooner have no wedding at all than one without my closest and most valued friend at my side. So, in hopes to sway your choice, I have sent you a copy of every photograph of the two of us and our ventures that I have in possession. I know you're not much for sentimentality, but I know you will enjoy some of what I've sent you. They are my gift to you, in honor of your birth. I would have flown across the world to see you, but you see, my darling Rebecca and I are bombarded with plans and arrangements for our ceremony. It should be a grand affair, and I know I will see your there on December 23rd. A formal invitation is in the pocket of your tuxedo. You may fly up whenever you like, and I hope you will stay in my villa with myself and my wondrous fiancée so that we may reconnect and reaffirm our most beautiful friendship.

Your dearest friend,

Tamaki Suou

Kyouya smiled, despite the sense of defeat he felt at the fact he was denied 'his dearest friend', he knew Sesuke and Tashiro would certainly expect Kyouya there, at the very least to keep up appearances and feel out their own victory. He could tell from what they said. They knew it would get back to him. They wanted to see him. They wanted to revel in their success.

Now he only needed to find a way to get to Paris and not dive into his savings for his journey to America. Maybe he would have to, which would set him back… oh… about a month, but what else could he do?

* * *

Mori was cautious with Fujioka Haruhi. He treated her as if he took on improper step, she would crumble into dust. It was funny, the way he behaved, because Fujioka was probably the most resilient woman he had met.

When they were led to a rather pleasant table, looking over a rather pleasant fountain, Takashi found himself a bit in awe at just how beautiful she had become. He pulled out her chair and she smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said simply, smiling, "thank you for dinner. It's always nice not to cook."

"Sorry," Mori sighed, "for disrupting your lunch plans."

"Don't worry, I'm actually quite happy to see you, even if you are on a wild delivery mission from Tamaki. How did he get you to be his messenger boy, anyway?"

"He asked," Mori said flatly as a rather gangly waiter poured him a glass of chardonnay. Haruhi blinked in response, but then she remembered, this was Morinozuka Takashi.

Mori listened as she talked about her life, carefully. She seemed to pause a bit frequently. She was leaving things out, he could tell. He also noticed she did not once bring up Kyouya. Either Kyouya had suddenly become the most boring lunch companion ever or the two of them were hiding something.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Mori questioned during a pause in Haruhi's stories.

Her reaction wasn't momentous. Haruhi swallowed her water, glanced down, and thought for a moment. With defeat in her eyes she replied, "No, no I suppose not. Why do you ask?"

"Would you like to accompany me to Tamaki's wedding?"

"Mori-sempai, I…" She sighed, "I don't quite know."

"Think about it," He said with a serious glance, to which she nodded.

"I will."

It was curious, certainly, the way she was behaving, but he was relieved she was essentially the same person he knew in his youth. She behaved just the same when Kyouya arrived. Maybe he wasn't the issue, maybe it was something else.

But there was certainly something amiss, just like Tamaki had guessed.

After Mori paid for their lunch, he found it odd that Kyouya insisted he give Haruhi a ride home. Had he not had a plane to catch at seven that evening, he would have continued his spying mission just to see what they were going to do. But time was limited so he offered them a nod and wished the well, and asked Haruhi to consider his offer.

She smiled back, and Morinozuka Takashi couldn't help but feel lonelier than when he had arrived.


	10. Chapter 10

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

It was fun to write about someone other that Haruhi and Kyouya for a change last chapter. That's when I came up with a new plot idea, a new story premise I will be starting at the end of Erudition. It's going to be a Mori/Haruhi piece, but the premise will be a surprise for all those who will read it after I finish Erudition.

That's not to say that Mori/Haruhi is my new OTP or something. I'm still a Kyouya/Haruhi girl all the way, I just liked the premise when it came to me I thought 'Wow, I really want to write this fic!' and so I will. But, as for now, Erudition, and Kyouya/Haruhi, is my priority.

* * *

"It's a lovely evening for a walk, isn't it?" Haruhi said as the two began their twelve block stroll through downtown Tokyo.

"Sorry," Kyouya sighed, "It's just I didn't want to surprise Morinozuka-sempai with the realization that my home is also yours and what that thus entails."

"I understand," Haruhi offered him a smile, "you do what you have to. A little walk is a small price to pay." He smiled back at her, at ease.

For a moment, Ootori Kyouya considered taking her hand. It would be an acceptable action for him to initiate, he considered. It's would show his fondness towards her in a subtle, unintimidating manner and would open future opportunities to demonstrate his affections.

"It's odd seeing Mori-sempai without Hunny-sempai, isn't it?" Haruhi mused, looking down at the neatly kept sidewalk.

"Not really. They still live together, and are very close and nearly inseperable, but things have changed considering their new circumstances."

"New circumstances?" Haruhi asked.

"Well, you see," Kyouya explained, "they went to the same college, and they both received their Business degrees. Hunny-sempai, upon completing his four years, opened his dojo. Mori-sempai, on the other hand continued on to get his masters and soon his doctorate degree in business in a rather nice school up in Kyushu. He should be getting it in about a year. Then he'll take over the Morinozuka/Haninozuka family business. One of them had to be ready to retain the company, and Mori-sempai took control so that Hunny-sempai could chase his dreams."

"Wow," Haruhi sighed, "that sounds like something Mori-sempai would do. I can see him being a very good leader."

"When the news was released last fall, stock for their company started to climb very steadily. It seems investors agree."

"You seem to have kept track of them fairly well," Haruhi smiled.

"I would see Mori-sempai probably four or five times a year at different galas and events. We stayed in fairly close contact. Tamaki too."

"Really," Haruhi sighed, something bitter in her voice, "I fell off the radar with you all rather quickly then, didn't I? You were all still friendly and I was left to myself. I just assumed we all went our separate ways, not that I was the only one you all separated yourselves from."

"It wasn't quite like that, Haruhi," Kyouya replied, slowing his pace slightly.

"Really? You saw Mori-sempai and Tamaki-sempai regularly after school ended, and I never saw you again until you had no place left to turn, Kyouya. At least Mori and Tamaki wrote to me occasionally. Why didn't you just ask Mori-sempai for help, then?"

"I didn't want to risk ruining him or…"

"Oh, I guess ruining me and my life is just nothing, then?"

Kyouya felt some slight animosity building in him. She was assailing him, no questions asked. He could feel himself begin to walk faster.

"Mori-sempai asked to escort me Tamaki-sempai's wedding," Haruhi called ahead. When Kyouya nearly stopped in his tracks, she caught up to her companion.

"Well," Kyouya scoffed, "I hope you have a good time."

"I didn't say yes. Yet." Haruhi replied, looking over to Kyouya.

"Oh," Kyouya responded, "I'm just hoping I have the funds to get there."

"Well," she replied, reaching into the pocket of her formal jacket, "Tamaki-san sent me these." She waved two first class tickets to Paris in front of Kyouya, smiling. "For me and 'a guest'."

Kyouya blinked a few times, "Well, that's awfully kind of him. Do you have any specific guest in mind?"

"Do you have any specific travel opportunities available?" she retorted.

"Haruhi…"

"I can't imagine how much it would hurt Tamaki-sempai if you weren't there," she said with a sigh, looking down at the ground again. "So your presence will be my gift to him, whether he knows it or not."

"Thank you, Haruhi," Kyouya said with a soft smile as his frustration slipped away.

And she smiled back wistfully in return.

* * *

They had dinner late that evening, and it was at dinner that night that Kyouya explained his overall plan. He would work for enough hours to earn enough money for a trip to America, a rental car for a week, and a month of hotel stays. He would arrange for a job with the Jenson Marketing and Shipping Firm, which was a company run by his roommate from a summer stay in Maine. It was an Australia-to-America company, nothing his brothers would he have heard of or be interested in.

Kyouya had talked to Jenson a few days before. He had offered Kyouya a job on the spot, but with a lack of funds Kyouya knew it was impossible for him to pursue it right away. He concocted a believable story, but promised to be up as soon as possible, but maybe not until May. Jenson assured him the position, and they caught up about all sorts of things, business in the states, friends from the villa they lived in, their personal lives.

Haruhi was surprised by Kyouya's seemingly genuine interest in the life of another person. She could remember years ago how Kyouya simply floated through most of his life, not making connections with another unless it was directly to his benefit.

But questions had been gnawing at her all afternoon, and it seemed as though their situation was calm enough to ask. They finished eating, and Kyouya put the seven o'clock news on and sat upon the couch to watch.

"Why didn't you ever contact me after high school?" Haruhi called from the kitchen.

Kyouya blinked at her several times before cracking a slight smile. "Well, it's a fairly long story."

"Well, we have a fairly long amount of time," she replied, placing the last dishes in the sink to soak before sitting down beside him on her living room sofa. He flicked off the television before taking off his glasses and polishing them clean on his sleeve.

"After high school," he began, placing his glasses down on the coffee table beside the remote, "my father pressured me to begin courting a woman to stand beside me as I led at least a part of the company. Someone who would be an asset before all else."

"And so you couldn't be seen around with commoners," Haruhi concluded.

"Hardly!" Kyouya replied with a laugh. "My father was pressuring me to make you my wife."

"Me…," she gasped, "why?"

"You were the best female student at Ouran within the past ten years, statistically. Not to mention having a corporate lawyer in the family would certainly be helpful, as we wouldn't have to pay you and you would go out of your way to benefit us. Also, we'd have apt and intelligent children who would ensure future generations of superior Ootori. All that tripe."

"Wow," she sighed.

"I considered it, for a bit, I mean, making you mine. I considered tricking you somehow, or maybe have blackmailing you, something calculated and underhanded. I didn't like those sorts of plans, though, they weren't particularly fair, especially to a friend. The plan I considered most was to offer to pay your way through school, a sort of business arrangement sort of deal, something where we would both get something we needed."

He offered her a rather wry smile, and retrieved a cup of water from the kitchen before coming back to the couch.

"You never did, though," she said, picking up his glasses and looking at the pale frames.

"What kind of life would that be? Spending the rest of your days with someone just because it's convenient? Though at that point in my life I could have cared less about who my future wife was to be, I didn't want to do something unreasonable to someone I respected.

"So, I told my father that Suou Tamaki had already placed his interest in you and that it would cause issue for me to do the same. Then, my father talked to Tamaki's father, and then Suou Yuzuru made issue of gaining you into the Suou family. It took Tamaki almost a year's time of being with you as a friend to realize that he probably could never gain your affections. He also concluded that it would be wrong to press the issue of courtship on you. So he transferred away so that it wouldn't be an issue at all."

He took his glasses from her and placed them back upon his nose.

"And so," Kyouya concluded, "you and I not maintaining a friendship was my fault, and Tamaki's departure from your life was completely mine as well."

Haruhi fell silent and Kyouya couldn't help but feel nervous.

"I'm sorry, Kyouya," she said after what seemed like years of silence, "for being so rude to you earlier."

And so with her anticlimactic response, Kyouya took her hand in his and smiled. She smiled back shyly and leaned against his shoulder and they watched SMAP reruns into the night.

And the following month before Tamaki's wedding was spent with calculated touches that neither could interpret, lingering eyes that seemed to hold just a bit to firm, doors just open enough to see within, and talk.

The talk revealed less than anything else about what was occurring between them.


	11. Chapter 11

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

I feel like everyone is pissed at the pacing of the story romantically, but really not that much time has passed in the story, the first three chapters take place in two days. Chapter four skips over 3 weeks. Five through ten takes place from a Wednesday to a Friday. They've been living together a month. One solid month. It takes most people a bit longer that to sort out feeling, or start a relationship, especially two people like Kyouya and Haruhi. Oh well, month two will have gone by by the end of the chapter, so things will have progressed a bit.

* * *

"Did you remember your extra glasses?"

"Yes, Haruhi-chan."

"Did you remember your good suit?"

"Yes, Haruhi-chan."

"Did you remember your fedora hat, you know, the black one?"

"Why would I need that for Tamaki's wedding?"

"Why would you need to have this conversation at work?" chimed in the less than chipper staff member who had been scheduled to take inventory with Manager Ootori Kyouya and his supposed girlfriend Fujioka Haruhi. "Can I take off early? I have stuff to do in the morning."

"Make sure to clock out," Kyouya replied, tallying the number of crates of melon bread at 30 units. The boy bowed to his superior and left quickly. "Remind me to have that Assistant Manager girl fire him while we're away. That boy's insubordination is intolerable."

"He's a child, he just needs to learn a bit of work ethic and adapt," she sighed, recording that there were currently twenty seven unit of coffee creamer.

"I think I know a bit about adaptation, Haruhi," Kyouya sighed, untying the strings of his work apron. "So, why the fedora?"

"It looks nice on you, that's all," she said with a smile, and he smiled in return. "Not to mention it'll keep the sun out of your eyes."

"Always practical, aren't you?" he laughed, hanging up his apron. He walked up behind Haruhi quietly and began to untie her apron slowly. She let out a quiet gasp that she cursed herself for, because it was definitely not one of shock. The way the rather heavy garment's rough fabric pressed against her breasts as he untied it felt a little better than it probably should.

He noted the noise but not its cause as he lifted the apron over her head and carried it back to the rack. "Thanks." She said as an afterthought, straightening her shirt and smoothing out some of the wrinkles. He offered a nod and beckoned her out the door, punched them both out for the night, and locked the door to the storage room.

"You ready for tomorrow?" She asked, handing him his coat as he finished closing the front of Convenient Square.

He nodded as he pulled his arms into the narrow sleeves. "Oh, I'll be staying at the airport overnight, before I call Tamaki to retrieve me."

"You're going to sleep _in the airport_?" she asked, horrified, "Why?"

"It might seem a bit too coincidental if we have been seeing each other as frequently as Mori knows we do, then we show up at the same day," he said blandly as they walked down the street.

"Oh wow."

"It's not that big of a de--"

"It's snowing!" Haruhi nearly cheered, craning her head up to the sky. Kyouya looked up slightly too, and she was in fact right, a light misting of pale flakes was falling from the sky. "It's so beautiful."

Kyouya wasn't nearly as mystified, it was just snow, after all. Snow falling on a downtown Tokyo street wasn't nearly as impressive as the Paris at Night, when the sun hits the mist at Niagara Falls, or even the flurries that falls on the clear and pleasant glades of the Adirondacks. "I take it you like snow?"

She smiled widely, "Yeah, since I was a kid," she began to stroll, rather than walk at her typical quick pace, "I can remember walking in the snow with my mother and father when I was a child. I don't remember where we would go, but it's nice to remember how happy the three of us were together."

__

"Onee-chan, do you think that father loves me," Kyouya asked one night as he prepared for his violin lessons. His voice was stoic and bland but his eyes were sparkling behind his new glasses. He was already seven years old and silent, typically, but bright and limitlessly talented. He was quite the topic of discussion.

Fuyumi looked out from behind the magazine she was reading, "Of course, Kyou-chan."

Hope built up in the back of his throat, though his voice stayed just as droll, "And mother?"

"Mother loves you too, Kyou-chan," Fuyumi replied.

"Have you ever heard them say so?" Kyouya asked as he tuned the last string.

Fuyumi paused for a moment, and it occurred to her that they never did. No Ootori ever really said they loved anyone or anything. No one ever really spoke with each other. "They are very, very proud of you, Kyou-chan. Now come hug your onee-chan."

He placed violin back in its case and did what she asked, "Onee-chan loves you, Kyou-chan." And Ootori Fuyumi couldn't help but cry.

"I love you too, onee-chan."

"You coming, Kyouya?" Haruhi called back to him from probably fifty yards ahead, still cheerful from the falling snow.

"Yeah," Kyouya replied, hastily walking back up to her. When he made it back to her side, he took her hand in his for the rest of the way back to her apartment, which she didn't mind in the slightest.

* * *

Haruhi had hired a cab the next day to drive them to the airport. Kyouya of course insisted on moving the luggage himself (he knew of being chivalrous, and it was one of the first attempts he had made of being so) and she thanked him in the car. He was wearing the hat she had suggested she take with him, and she seemed rather pleased he did. She adjusted the brim for him to make him like "more sharp" just after they stepped out of the taxi and finished unloading their luggage.

As he checked it in, she bought a heated can of coffee, one for them to share. It was strangely intriguing to put his lips around where hers had been mere second before, so he made sure to take small sips. She did the same, and the one can lasted about an hour longer than it typically would.

They boarded the plane at around one in the afternoon, unaware until they were on board that they wouldn't be arriving until late that evening. They had rescheduled the flight so that it land in Sicily for an hour before heading to Paris.

On the first leg of their journey, they chatted, had a couple glasses of wine, and watched a rather humorous Italian film. The second part of their trip was completely different. They didn't get back onboard until nearly two in the morning because of a fast moving snow squall. She called Tamaki's number and spoke with one of his servants briefly to inform him of what was occurring. The man offered a plaintive response before hanging up the phone.

Kyouya adjusted in his seat, rubbed his eyes, and inspected his watch. It was about three in the morning. His neck was aching from shifting again and again in hopes of finding a comfortable sleeping position.

"Can't sleep?" Haruhi mumbled, shifting her drooping-eyed gaze over to him.

He shook his head, his neck continuing to ache. "Can't get relaxed."

"You can lean on me, you know," she yawned.

And he did so. It didn't help his comfort much, but it certainly had it's appeal. Kyouya continued to fidget as he nodded off. His perpetual motion grew a bit unsettling and not particularly catalytic to Haruhi managing to rest as well, so she eased him down across her lap. She took the hat off his head and put it atop her own, watched as he shifted once more, and drifted off to sleep herself.

When Kyouya awoke to the sounds of pilot instructing everyone to put on their seatbelts for landing, he was utterly shocked to see how he was positioned. He shot up into a painfully straight position and buckled his seatbelt.

"Morning," Haruhi yawned, stretching her arms out in front of her, "sleep well?"

"Just fine, thanks," he said uneasily, "I've never been on one of these commercial liners. I expected them to be a bit more cozy."

The pilot reminded them to remain seated, as they were almost done circling the landing pad.

"How did you travel…" she paused, "a private jet, right?"

"Precisely," he said with a smile. "The family one even had a bed in it, for such long trips."

She sighed. Being at Tamaki's mansion would put Kyouya back in his element, and herself completely our of her own. Was the man she had grown to… she wasn't quite sure what she'd grown to feel, but nonetheless, disappear back into the conceited, cynical boy she had known when she was just a girl?

"Would you like me to take your carry-on case?"

She smiled. "Thanks, Kyouya-sempai."

"Kyouya," he corrected. He tapped the brim of his fedora which she was now wearing. "It looks nice on you, too, you can borrow in to 'keep the sun out of your eyes' while we're in the airport."

And they laughed together as the stepped off the plane, and she felt the some solace as they walked through the gate and he continued to talk as if everything was the same as the day before.

"Haruhi! Haruhi! Eh, Kyouya?"

If they were able to, they would have stopped dead in their tracks, but it just so happened that the escalator dropped them no more than three feet from a baffled-looking Suou Tamaki.

"Tamaki-sempai," Haruhi began, "uhmmm…."

"Hello Tamaki," Kyouya greeted with a genuine smile that instantaneously seemed suspicious.

"You two flew in together?"

"Well, you see," Haruhi attempted to explain, "I don't like flying alone…"

"She's afraid of the lightning beneath the plane when it's cloudy, you know how she is with that sort of thing," He said in a half whisper. "So, she asked me to fly up with her…"

Haruhi looked away, as if she were embarrassed by what he had said. She was actually a bit astounded by what a clever excuse he had made.

"No. You're lying," Tamaki retorted, "I can tell!"

Haruhi turned pale and looked over to her companion. "Tamaki--" Kyouya started, only to be cut off.

"Why didn't you just _tell_ me you were seeing each other, did you think it would bother me?" Tamaki asked, a bit indignant, "I'm _thrilled, _really! My dearest friend with a beautiful, talented, capable woman like my darling daughter, it's quite wonderful, really. Come come come! It's awfully late and we must be heading back to my mansion. I already have the men picking up your suitcases, I'll just phone them to get Kyouya's as well and we can just go back and catch up. We'll have ever so much fun and just relax!"

"That sounds…" Kyouya began.

"Exhausting?" Haruhi continued. Kyouya offered a smile and nodded.

And all three laughed together.

Tamaki put one arm around his closest friend, one around his 'darling daughter' and all felt right for the first time in four years.

* * *

"The wedding rehearsal is tonight, since you only arrived this morning after those wretched delays you needn't attend the gala beforehand, you must both be tired after such a long flight you should get some beauty sleep until this evening. Then the four of us, including my dear Rebecca, of course, will have the next week to relax and prepare, whichever is more imminent at the time." Tamaki said as they approached a pristinely kept villa. "Oh yes, it looks like everyone's arriving."

"Who's part of 'everyone'?" Haruhi asked, looking across the vast grounds as the Porshe rolled to a pause. Fancy automobiles littered the flawless cobblestone paths.

"Well, Kaoru and Hikaru, Mori, Hunny, Rebecca's parents, my father, Fuyumi, Tashiro, Sesuke, business associates upon business associates, the entire teaching staff of Ouran, every member of the host club up to present date, the Yetsuna family, Kitano Juyunshi--"

__

So, tonight I will see my brothers.

Kyouya thought to himself,

_at the very least, it should be interesting. _

And as Tamaki continued to list names she didn't recognize, she could only look at the cold expression on Kyouya's face and feel completely alone.


	12. Chapter 12

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Rating: T

* * *

Wow, it's hard to believe I'm well passed half way in this story! Creepy! It felt like I just started writing it yesterday. But then again, then this would be February and physically impossible. Has anyone notice that I've been updating weekly? I was really pissed by the delay on alerts, because I had been doing Mondays but it didn't send out the update alert until 9:30 on Tuesday. Oh well…  
Time to introduce my OCs, right? I hope I can do it well and tastefully so that they aren't painfully overwhelming. Then again, Tashiro and Sesuke, though I named them myself, aren't technically my characters since they did namelessly and facelessly appear in the anime. But Rebecca is all my doing, so I hope you… don't hate her, at least.

* * *

"My own bed," Kyouya said to himself, closing the door behind the last set of Tamaki's servants. He let himself fall upon the perfectly embroidered comforter and found it absolutely wonderful. He slipped underneath the primly pressed blanket, kicked off his trousers and unbuttoned his shirt.

"I missed one thousand thread count sheets," he sighed, nestling his head into a goose-down pillow. It reminded him of being back in his old room at the Ootori estate, perfect bed, poster of the Tokyo Philharmonic over his head, notebook on his bedside table just in case any ideas for events came to him in his sleep (which actually did occur fairly regularly).

"This is what life should be," he murmured to himself, falling into the most deep and pleasant sleep he'd had in his life.

* * *

Haruhi, on the other hand, found sleep hard to come by. The accommodations were delightful, of course, better than anyplace else she had ever been. The discomfort she felt came solely from within, from worry, from fear.

Her life was wonderful where it stood at that moment.

She enjoyed school, she enjoyed its monotony and how she was progressing in the proper linear fashion. She'd have her choice stations, a long list of recommendations, nearly perfect grades in both graduate and undergraduate college. She had jobs where she made fair pay, fair enough to support her small apartment in a good neighborhood where she felt safe. She had a friend who she came home to every night, and woke up to every day, who made all the material benefits seem worth it.

And where was Fujioka Haruhi before Ootori Kyouya's return? She was lonely. She had all sorts of things but it felt like her life was pointless. She worked through tedium at school and at work, and came home to a bed and her shrine to her late mother. Everything made sense, but nothing seemed to fit together.

She felt increasingly possessive of him each day, increasingly jealous of her co-workers who spent time with him, of the executives who had laid claim to the rest of his life once he had the money to sacrifice himself to their business. But he wasn't hers, and she had no right to envy or anything of its nature.

She could sense something was about to change in her small world, and it made her feel anxious in the pit of her stomach.

It seemed that as soon as she did manage to rest after hours of mulling, she heard her door fly open. She lifted her head from the pillow dully to start at her unwanted intruder.

"Bonjour, bonjour, Fujioka-san!" a fairly attractive blonde haired, green eyed woman declared with a twirl. "I'm Rebecca Tetreault. It's so wonderful to finally meet you!" With a pleasant smile she jumped onto the bed right beside where Haruhi happened to lay. "We will certainly be the best of friends, oui?"

"Nice to meet you, Tetreault-san," Haruhi replied, pulling herself up into a seated position. "Can I… help you?"

"Rebecca!" She corrected, tapping Haruhi on the nose. "And, the rehearsal dinner begins in about an hour, so I thought I would come up and see if you needed any help preparing. Do you have something to wear?"

"I filled the closet," Haruhi told her, stretching out her arms before her. Rebecca bounded up and opened the closet door and began to riffle. "I was thinking of the black one."

"A girl with eyes like yours should have more color in her wardrobe. Maybe some mauve? You know, I have some dresses you should try, I'm sure you'd look simply fabulous."

And before she could argue she was being whisked away by a group of servants.

* * *

Kyouya has already finished putting on his cufflinks by the time he head a knock on the door. "Come in," he called.

"Your sister is very eager to see you, Kyouya," Tamaki said, stepping through the door.

"Really," Kyouya sighed, "I'll make sure to talk with her."

"Your brothers are asking for you as well."

"Are they now?"

"Something is wrong"

"Yes, something _is _wrong. You're up here with me instead of mingling with your guests, not something a proper host does."

"You're deflecting my attention," Tamaki insisted, stamping his foot, "why can't you tell me?"

"There's nothing really to tell," Kyouya straightened his jacket sleeves and looked himself over one last time, "let's go, shall we?" and as he stepped past his friend, he attempted to force a smile with less than typical ease.

"You can trust me, Kyouya."

Kyouya turned. "With my life, Tamaki," he replied, and they descended the stairs together.

* * *

"Simply wonderful. Mauve, I knew it!" Rebecca said, with a snap of her fingers. "Some Steve Madden pumps and you will look divine."

"If Tamaki couldn't get me to wear heels back in high school, I doubt you could now," Haruhi replied, inspecting the dress Rebecca had picked for her above so many others she had tried on.

"He said dressing you up was fun, but I think I can do a bit better, Haru-chan," she chuckled, riffling through the closet full of shoes for the right pair, "you see, I'm not only a woman but I'm a bit more 'down to earth' than Tama-tama."

"Down to earth? Tama-tama?"

"See here, these shoes have flexible soles, perfect for beginners walking in high shoes. I used to wear them when I was in junior college all the time. I actually was wearing those the day I met Tama-tama…" she sighed. "Well, anyway, they're the right color, and the should feel pretty steady."

Haruhi indulged her hostess and pulled on the high-heeled shoes. Rebecca was right, they were exceptionally easy to walk in considering their style. "Wow."

"You see? Now I just need to do your makeup and you will look simply spectacular."

"…eh?"

* * *

"Kyou-chan!"

Fuyumi Shido rushed over to Kyouya when they spotted him at the punch bowl. Kyouya was a bit unnerved by the near-spectacle as she embraced him. He offered his older sister a smile as she peeled off of him

"Oh Kyou-chan, I'm so sorry about not helping you. It's just Itase-kun needs this job and Sesuke and Tashiro threatened that if Itase and I did anything to help you…"

"Shh," Kyouya scolded, only to feel guilty a moment later, "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"What are you _doing_ now, Kyouya? How are you getting by?"

He leaned over to whisper into her ear, "I've been managing a store."

"Oh," She said, her nose wrinkling in distaste, "that must be awful!"

"It's certainly not my cup of tea, but I'm saving to move out of Japan. I'll get by, Fuyumi."

"Kyou-chan… Onee-san loves you," she said, embracing him once again, "Tashiro and Sesuke are expecting to talk to you tonight."

"I know," Kyouya said flatly, closing his eyes.

* * *

Haruhi was actually a bit surprised by the work Rebecca had done. She looked nice, but still like herself. It was a happy departure from what she had grown to expect when it came to the "Haruhi the Dress Up Rag Doll" game (an affectionate term Kaoru and Hikaru came up with for the perpetual costuming during second year).

"Now run along downstairs," Rebecca insisted, "I have to change into an evening dress myself."

And so as she walked down the stairs and into the foyer where the rehearsal party was occurring, noting a few familiar face in the crowd. By the time she reached ground level, Kaoru and Hikaru where already at the bottom of the staircase.

"Haruhi," Kaoru began with a flourish of his hands.

"We've missed you," Hikaru concluded. Each took one of her hands and kissed it, to look up at her with beaming smiles.

"Really," she sighed, "what have you two been up to these past four years?"

"We're married!" they said together, holding up their hands to show her their rings.

"To whom?"

"Each other!" they declared, embracing.

"WHAT?!"

"Joking! I always loved the "Haruhi Falls For Stupid Lies" Game," Hikaru laughed.

"And these are napkin rings," Kaoru added with a smile, sliding the gold off his finger, "they're over on the smorgasbord."

Haruhi let out and exasperated sigh and rubbed her temples. They pulled similar jokes all senior year, and she couldn't believe how she always fell for them. Then again, there wasn't much she believed they wouldn't do.

"Haruhi."

"Oh, hello Kyouya," she said with a smile. "I thought you'd be spending time with your sister."

"_Kyouya_," Hikaru said to Kaoru, who had also noted the lack of honorific. They exchanged brief glances.

"Actually I haven't quite found them yet. I noted you were with these two, and I was hoping they weren't giving you any trouble."

"Hello to you, too," Kaoru said with slight indignation, only to start laughing in seconds. Kyouya offered a half smile.

The four friends engaged themselves in pleasant small talk, smiling, laughing, reminscing. It was only when two men heralded Kyouya over to themselves that she noticed the stone-eyed Kyouya make his debut. He nodded to the three and excused himself.

"Those two look just as intense as always," Hikaru said, "Kyouya comes from such a bunch of oddballs."

Kaoru nodded, "Choosing to live in their drama just seems like a waste, especially with all that much money. We would have much more creative uses for it."

"Definitely," Hikaru agreed, patting his brother on the back. "I wonder what they've been up to after Pops kicked the bucket?"

Haruhi decided it might be a good point to redirect the conversation, before any questions rose that she wouldn't want to field.

"What do you thing of Tamaki's fiancé? She reminds me so much of Renge and all those other Ouran patrons."

"Tetrault-san couldn't have made it into Ouran if she tried," Hikaru said, sipping his champagne.

"Oh," Haruhi replied, a bit puzzled, "she seems like she's of wealthy upbringing."

"She is." Kaoru confirmed. "It's the prestige issue."

"Oh?"

"Her family is _worse than the yakuza." _Hikaru said, lowering his voice, "They're the most deadly assassin family in all of Europe._ Brutal _group, simply brutal. They'd kill you for seeing them on the street!"

"Really?"

"Buzz buzz," they chimed together, "No!" Haruhi scowled.

"Hello, Hitachiin-san, Hitachiin-san!" Rebecca greeted. She offered a smile to Haruhi as well. "How are you boys?"

"Oh, we're delightful, Tetrault-san, delightful!" Kaoru replied, raising his glass.

"I'm glad to hear you're having fun," she said.

"Oh, with a party your family is sponsoring, who wouldn't have fun?" Hikaru said abruptly.

A certain sadness fell over her face as Kaoru slapped at his brother for his rudeness to which he merely shrugged feigning innocence. Haruhi looked on dumbstruck.

"Yes, well, I'm glad," she repeated, looking at the floor for a moment before recomposing herself into her previous chipper self, "Fujioka-chan, I'm free tomorrow. We should _bond_ you know, have a _girl's _day! What do you think?"

"Uhmm… Oh--"

"Okay? Great! Enjoy the rest of the party!"

"Thank you?" she replied, confused, but slightly curious. Before she could clarify with the twins, Haruhi was caught off-guard by several familiar faces from high school, shocked to see her in a dress, staring wide-eyed before approaching. Hikaru and Kaoru soon forgot their conversation as well as they laughed to the point of tears as Haruhi explained she had not had a gender reassigning surgery about twenty times in a row.

* * *

"Kyouya, how have you been?" Sesuke asked, tapping the edge of his glass, "you stopped trying far faster than we had thought you would."

"Yes," Tashiro agreed, "what are you doing now, Kyouya? I assumed you'd just use your name to marry some poor girl and begin leeching off her by now, but that doesn't seemed to have happened."

"I'm getting by just fine," Kyouya replied, "I've done just what you've wanted. I haven't received any aid from anyone in your Inter-Corporate Alliance. This is the first I've seen of Suou, and most certainly the last. I've avoided suspicion completely, and I haven't drawn any attention to myself."

"Yes yes, but what are you doing, dear brother?" Tashiro insisted with a curious smile.

Kyouya didn't reply.

Sesuke scanned the crowd, noticing that far too many eyes were on his brothers than he would enjoy. "Meet us tomorrow for coffee, brother," Sesuke insisted loud enough for some of the spectators to hear, "we must reacquaint ourselves, it's been far too long that you've been away! This party isn't near long enough or the appropriate place for we three brothers to rehash these months after…"

"Just stop," Kyouya insisted quietly. He adjusted his tone and volume to reply, "Yes, Onii-san, that certainly seems like a splendid idea."


	13. Chapter 13

Erudition

By Keiraun

Ratings: T

* * *

You know what feels great? When you read a _fantastic_ fan fiction, vaguely recognize the author name, then sort through and realize they have _you_ on alert! It's really validating. Or maybe I'm just weird… who knows?

Okay, so, then, turning point turning point next two chapters. This story is getting so damn long, I thought it would be fifteen-ish chapters, but then this is thirteen, I have plans for fourteen, fifteen should be the wedding, sixteen should be the immediate aftermath, then probably two more completing chapters. That makes eighteen. I wanted to finish before I start college but with move-in day on the 19th, so that'll definitely not fly. I'll work really hard to be regular with the updates, no more 3 month hiatuses like back at chapter five! I swear!

* * *

There were three quick taps on the door that night, somewhere around midnight.

"Come in?" Kyouya called, sliding his bookmark in between the pages of the novel he had found in his room when he had arrived. He hadn't planned on reading, but sleep seemed to avoid him that evening.

"Konbanwa," Haruhi greeted, standing in the doorway. Her pale green pajamas hung far too large off her narrow shoulders. Her makeup hadn't been washed off, but instead smudged off to the edges of her eyes in an obvious attempt to rub it away. She looked somehow exceedingly endearing.

"Can I help you somehow?" he said sitting up. He felt a bit awkward in the pit of his stomach at the idea of her coming to his room in the middle of the night, it seemed, _intriguing, _at the very least, and he couldn't help but eye his wallet on the desk.

"Well," she said with a slight sigh, "I guess… I guess it just seems odd to spend an evening alone, I haven't in so many weeks. I didn't quite know what to do with myself, so I thought I would pay to a visit."

He didn't quite know how to place her answer, so he just adjusted his glasses and stared.

"If you don't mind, that is."

"No, of course not," he assured, "I suppose it would be pointless to try and watch the news, I don't remember a single word of French. You?"

"I opted for German," she replied with a shrug, "but cabinets between the television are filled with movies and such. Mostly yakuza films in my room, I suppose Tamaki is a collector."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, but honestly was not surprised in the least.

* * *

Kyouya was awakened in the middle of the night by the uneasy shifting beside him. Slightly annoyed, his eyes drifted open to realize that Haruhi was beside him, in his bed, in one of the large and posh guest rooms at the Suou estate. It was rather surprising how he could feel so comfortable yet so awkward at once.

She didn't sleep in any beautiful or particularly attractive way, her face showing some nondescript frustration, her knees bent, her hands clenched in the crook of her neck while tossing a bit, but somehow it just seemed a bit illusory for her to be there with him.

He realized, then, that perhaps her restlessness might be from the fact that he had coiled all the blankets around himself. He found out how correct he was upon watching her visage ease as she clutched the blanket to her chest.

Kyouya couldn't remember the last time he had fallen asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

"Fujioka-chan, psst, Fujioka-chan!"

Her eyes drifted open to see Rebecca staring down at her.

"Morning. Did you switch rooms with Kyouya-kun?"

"Eh, no…wh--" she grumbled, only to realize that she had never made it back to her own quarters.

Rebecca laughed 'knowingly', which for some reason made Haruhi blush, despite the fact nothing happened (not that she would have been opposed if something had). She scanned the empty area beside her and sighed quietly.

It was as she stood that Haruhi noticed just how different Tetrault-san appeared than the previous night. Her hair was flat and straight, her waist appeared a few inches wider, and her fingernails were short from what looked to be biting. She was also dawning a rather drab pair of spectacles.

"Your eyes are brown today," Haruhi said absentmindedly, looking over at her pleasant hostess, who only smiled in response to her comment.

"I wear contacts," Rebecca replied. "I went with clear today. I have some blues and purples too, but the green ones I wore last night have a bit more impact. Anywho, you must need some time to get ready, come downstairs when you want to go."

"Go?"

"For our Girl's Day, remember," Rebecca reminded.

"Oh, yes, alright… but wher--" She began.

"Oh, Kyouya-kun said he was seeing his family today. It's convenient that I won't be stealing your time from him, isn't it? See you soon!"

Haruhi sighed when she realized how unsure she was of just how to get back to her own room.

* * *

"Bonnnngggg…" Tamaki hummed as he struck the tuning fork. "A is a bit flat…"

Tamaki turned his wrench a slightly to the right, tightening the string. He struck the key again, then the tuning fork, and found it to be perfectly in sync. He couldn't restrain a grin, feeling a bit accomplished in his small feat of tuning his piano.

"You know, we could always hire someone to do that," Rebecca sighed, "you've been at it for hours."

Tamaki turned to smile at his fiancée. Her long blonde hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, and she was dawning her black rimmed spectacles instead of her typical contact lenses. "I know, Lovely, it's just I find it a bit therapeutic. You look positively radiant today, by the way." He leaned in for a kiss, but found himself evaded.

"You don't need to lie to me, Tama-tama," she sighed, "I just didn't feel like prettying myself up, I suppose."

"You could have fooled me," he whispered before successfully retrieving a kiss, which she broke a bit before he would have typically liked. "Are you alright today, dear?"

"How was Kyouya-kun this morning?" She quickly asked, to change the subject. "His brothers didn't seem particularly friendly at the rehearsal last night."

"They are a bit, well, rude, those two. A bit… cold, too. I feel a bit worried for Kyouya-kun…"

"If there is one person not to worry about," Tamaki sighed, "it's Kyouya. He's got Haruhi _and_ me looking out for him. If something went wrong for Kyouya…"

"What's wrong with Kyouya?" Haruhi asked, stepping down the stairs fairly quickly, "Did he call from his meeting?"

"No no, Haruhi, he seemed perfectly happy when he left this morning, no need to worry. I think he was actually a bit happier than usual. He always looks forward to seeing his onee-san."

Haruhi offered a false smile that was accepted without question, "I guess I'm a bit on edge. I've been feeling a bit out of place…"

"Don't worry, darling daughter," Tamaki said as he embraced his former kohai. "All is certainly well. Now enjoy your day with my dear fiancée and leave your worries in the past! This is supposed to be a pleasant holiday, not a stressful endeavor. Anything you need, anything you need is simply at my disposal. Now, you two lovely ladies enjoy your day!"

Rebecca seemed a bit unnerved as she led Haruhi out to her late model sports car, her face bland and empty compared to all her past exuberance.

As Tamaki closed the lid of his piano, he couldn't help but feel as the others had, that something was amiss. His mind reeled, trying to put together the pieces of information that all seemed not to fit about Ootori Kyouya.

* * *

"What's _she_ doing here?" Kyouya asked Tashiro bitingly as they approached the table, gesturing toward his sister, "Trying to play this off as a family event to make it look less conspicuous? Must you _always_ drag Onee-chan into all your issues with me?"

Tashiro didn't even look over to his brother, "She's your biggest advocate, Kyouya, and her husband is on the board of executives. Only part of it is to cover to any straggling media."

"Konichi-wa, brother, sister. It's certainly a beautiful afternoon," Tashiro offered blandly, taking his seat at the table. He looked up to Kyouya, who was still standing behind his chair. Kyouya followed suit, his mind spinning with worry, frustration, and perhaps a hint of fear.

"Quite," Sesuke agreed, Fuyumi nodded anxiously.

All four siblings scanned the room up and down before proceeding with their conversation. Kyouya was the first to speak. "Why did you want to meet with me?"

"To see how you were doing, of course," Sesuke said with a smile. Tashiro smiled as well. "What have you been doing lately, brother?"

"You know _exactly _what I've been doing. I've seen the secret police on many occasions, keeping tabs."

"Really?" Tashiro sighed, though completely unsurprised.

"I notice when someone walks in to my store dressed like a construction worker but is wearing Gucci loafers, brother. You know I work at Convenient Square, what more do you want?"

"You make it sound as though we're reveling in your defeat," Tashiro replied, pouring himself a glass of wine from the bottle of '78 on the table. "It was really nothing against you, brother."

"You had me blacklisted, how impersonal is that, Tashiro?"

Sesuke nodded, "It's just solid business, brother. We did all necessary to assure ourselves firm and steady control of Father's company without interference. We were just doing what's best for the family, employees…"

"Well isn't that just wonderful?" Kyouya hissed. Fuyumi cringed and adjusted herself in her seat. "Why did you call me here?"

"We're still family, Kyouya," Sesuke said simply, offering Kyouya a glass of champagne which he refused. "As long as you stay in your place, you're still one of us, nii-chan."

"Kyouya," he corrected, "I don't want to be a part of a family that holds each other hostage. Right, Fuyumi?"

"Ano…" Fuyumi muttered, looking down at her glass of water, "Calm down, Kyouya, it'll all be alright. Stay seated."

Kyouya glared at her briefly before he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Aren't you interested in what your siblings have been up to, these past few months? Lets just sit and chat, shall we?" Sesuke insisted, before signaling over the waiter. "The duck here is simply wonderful, by the way. It's all on me today."

* * *

"Rebecca-chan," Haruhi asked as she twirled the ice in her empty glass with her straw. "Thank you for lunch, and the dress."

"Not a problem. I'm really happy I got to know you better."

"Eh?" Haruhi asked as the waitress dropped another glass of grape soda in front of her. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Rebecca sighed, "when I met Tamaki, he was so infatuated with you, and, well, I wanted to see what you're like while I had the chance."

Haruhi looked at her companion in confusion as she dropped her straw into her new drink. "Infatuated?"

"Oh yes," Rebecca said nostalgically, "it was always 'my darling daughter Haruhi was a fantastic cook', or 'my adorable daughter would look so nice in this' or 'my sweet and lovely daughter was always so good at Classical Japanese' and so on and so on. It was a bit intimidating when I found out you weren't really a child."

They both laughed, though it was obviously forced.

"Yes, well, Tamaki always said crazy things like that. I don't think he was enamored with me at all…"

"Well, it always seemed that way to me, at least. I always pictured you as a bit more masculine, considering you passed as a boy throughout high school. I can tell you, honestly, it worried a bit when I saw you at first that Tamaki would insist that you run away with him, but then he told me you were with Kyouya-kun, and I was a slightly and guiltily happy that wasn't a possibility."

"How do you know Kyouya, exactly?" Haruhi asked a bit more acerbically than she had intended, but Rebecca kept smiling.

"He came to visit Tamaki intermittently when we were in school together. Tama-tama was my Japanese tutor when I was a freshman, and we were very good friends for a very long while, and when we were sophomores Tamaki introduced me to Kyouya. I've only seen him a half a dozen or so times before now, but he always seemed pleasant."

"Oh, well," Haruhi sighed, "that's interesting. He never told me about his visiting Tamaki."

"Well, they haven't seen any of each other in months. It's bothered Tama-tama quite a bit, thought Kyouya-kun might be horribly depressed about his father's death. He was happy to hear that Kyouya-kun found some solace in you," Rebecca smiled even wider, "thank you, by the way."

"Can I ask you a question?" Haruhi said, in an attempt to change the subject.

"Sure."

"Is there something strange about your family?" Rebecca's eyes shot down, and Haruhi couldn't help but have regretted asking. "Hikaru impli--"

"Have you ever heard of Love-U-Line?" Rebecca asked suddenly.

"Love-U-Line?"

"My father is the founder. It's the biggest dirty chat line in France, England, and the Netherlands. You can only imagine how embarrassing that must be. When I found out Tamaki went to Ouran, which is all about 'family legacy' and so on, I thought I would never have a chance with him. But he just keeps on surprising me. He's just kept on surprising me since the day we met. It's a bit…"

"Exhausting?" Haruhi asked with a smile.

"Precisely."

* * *

There were three quick taps on Kyouya's door that evening, and he couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Konbanwa, Kyouya," Haruhi greeted, quietly. "Why didn't you tell me you were going out with your brothers today?"

"I didn't want to think about it," Kyouya admitted, shutting the door. "It was certainly not the most delightful day I've had."

"Want to talk about it?" Haruhi asked, with a smile.

Kyouya felt the tension slowly slip away as he chronicled his day's events to her. She was just as happy as he was that his brothers had not discovered he was living with in her apartment, and she made sure to reitterate that he was welcome to stay with her as long as he needed regardless. Her reassurance was more comforting than he could have ever expected.

And when Haruhi smiled at him before leaving his room that evening, Ootori Kyouya realized he couldn't deny just how much she meant to him much longer.


	14. Chapter 14

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Ratings: T

* * *

Ugh! Hey everyone. I'm really sorry, but life has been so crazy lately! I started college (technically WPI is a Polytechnic Institute, but it's just a fancy way of saying dork school) and changed computers and keep losing files that put me back. There was a death and a rather unpleasant injury in my family on top of school, so I've had about as much leisure time as a leming. I really didn't intend such a long hiatus, but honestly I didn't have the time to invest.

So, now that winter break over, I've reread all my fic, and am ready to try once again to get it done. Those of you who are reading this, thanks for coming back. To those of you who are new, I'm as flaky as a southern biscuit. Sorries all around!

* * *

"Maybe we shouldn't wake up Kyouya first," Hikaru commented, "didn't we learn that years ago?"

Kaoru shook his head, "Honestly, I'm more afraid of Haruhi. At the very least Kyouya's consistent."

"Nothing ever changes with Kyo-chan," Huni commented. Mori looked down at the floor uneasily. Hikaru grasped the doorknob of Haruhi's room and flung the door open.

Hikaru gasped. "What are you doing?"

Kyouya, halfway through pulling on a sweatervest, peered through the woven wool at his former classmates. "I'm getting dressed, as baffling as that may be." As he stuck his head through the neckline of the Gucci outerwear, he could clearly see the shock on the faces of his friends.

"But," Hunny mumbled, "it's barely 10 AM!"

"Well, you're up, aren't you?" Kyouya replied, glancing at the diminutive martial artist. Oddly enough, he didn't seem nearly as diminutive as he remembered. Perhaps it was the new goatee and short haircut that made him seem more... masculine.

"Well, it's around 7 at night back home right now, and we only arrived a few hours ago," Hunny replied with a smile. "I still need a nice long sleep to be as happy as I am."

"We?" Kyouya replied, having recalled the twins' presence the other night.

"Takashi-kun and I," Hunny replied, and then with a quick scan realized Mori was no longer behind him, "I guess he must have wandered off… anyway! Now tell us how you've been! And what should we do today?"

"We should hit some clubs!" Hikaru proposed. The room began to hum with the enthusiasm of plans and possible mischief, and Kyouya could only force off a smile in hopes of keeping their beloved childhood dynamic.

* * *

"Ohayo."

Haruhi peered out the door and smiled.

"Ohayo, Mori-sempai. Come in."

Morinozuka Takashi could feel his heart skip a beat as she shut the door behind him. Haruhi stepped back towards the mirror and resumed brushing her hair. He watched her meticulous motions and began to relax. Mori sat on her bed, and she quickly smiled at his reflection.

"So," she said quickly, placing her comb back on her dressing table, "what's up."

Mori lowered his eyes as she put on her mascara over her eyelashes. She noted his typical lack of response, but it seemed to be more awkward than taciturn.

"Would you still like to escort me to the wedding this evening?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Mori-sempai. How have you been lately?"

"Busy," he sighed, adjusting his collar, "dissertation."

"School can be quite an effort" Haruhi replied, sitting beside him. "I know I have to invest a lot of time to keep myself afloat, especially lately…"

"Lately?"

"Well, senior year puts a lot of work onto a student, if you remember, and my job to support my apartment, and the food and heat and so much else…" _So much else, _she repeated in her head, "You can probably imagine."

"Yes."

"Luckily tonight fell during winter break for school, otherwise I don't know if I could have come… Speaking of tonight, let me straighten you out a bit, you look disheveled to say the least."

Haruhi without another word grabbed her brush and began to comb his hair flat. Mori breathed deep to push away the appeal of her proximity, her breasts pressed up against his back as her hands touched his hair ever so slightly was increasingly arousing despite her innocent intent. She then proceeded to smooth his lapels and realign his cufflinks.

Perhaps it was the proximity of her mouth, or the warmth of her breath against his neck, or some other unknown factor that caused Morinozuka Takashi to kiss Fujioka Haruhi as she knotted his necktie into a proper Windsor knot.

It was a brief kiss, initially a bit forceful but at the lack of reciprocation quite tame.

As he pulled back she wiped her lips off with her wrist. Mori could not bring his eyes off the floor as she stood up. She tilted her head sideways, her expression nostalgically blank, "You could use a shave too, I think, feel free to use my bathroom."

"Sorry," he said as he stood.

"Don't worry about it," Haruhi said with a smile. "Let's keep this between us, alright?"

"I won't tell him," Mori said with a knowing glance, though embarrassment forbade his eyes from rising above her simple black shoes.

After the door clicked shut she walked back to her dressing table and reapplied her lipstick. She had trouble glancing back at her own reflection in the mirror, though she knew full well there was no reason to feel guilty.

__

It's not as if I'm in a relationship right now anyway

It was shortly after that awkward moment between Haruhi and Mori that their friends flung open the ebony door.

It was shortly after they flung open the door that they were out on the town cavorting, hopping from bar to bar.

It was shortly after they arrived in each bar that they would all reminisce together about some pleasant day gone by and all would smile.

Kyouya smiled at the thought of coming back to who he once was, even though the idea of that old lifestyle seemed a bit unsettling.

Haruhi smiled even though somewhere in the back of her mind, she still remembered how lonely her life was after they all left her behind.

But with the most shining visages, whether they were legitimate or not, the former hosts toasted their soon-to-be-wed king.

, she reminded herself as she wiped away the slight smudges her unsteady hand had made.

* * *

Getting ready for the wedding was a haze. Of course, as they were on a time schedule after all, they were caught in traffic that could not be remedied by Hikaru yelling threats at the terrified driver. Upon arriving at the gates of the Église Saint-Sulpice the staff pulled them all to different rooms and proceeded to dress them, muttering in French words one could logically deducted as unhappy.

They couldn't really be faulted, as the wedding was scheduled to start at seven and they arrived at six forty-seven. Tamaki wouldn't even consider starting without his dearest friends, much less his two groomsmen Kyouya and Hunny (Hunny being selected by a commoner game called 21, as Tamaki could not put any of his darling children before another without great pains).

Haruhi was actually rather pleased that she was not one of the bridesmaids, as she didn't feel quite like being a spectacle again as she was at the rehearsal dinner. Mori sat down beside her, still unwilling to make eye contact. She patted him on the shoulder and smiled. Mori continued to stare down at his perfectly shined Louie Vuitton loafers.

The was something strangely unnerving about watching Kyouya stand at a the front of the Parisian church.

__

"I considered it, for a bit. I mean, making you mine."

Beneath the shine of his glasses she knew his eyes were locked on her.

__

"What kind of life would that be? Spending the rest of your days with someone just because it's convenient?"

When she smiled at him he raised an eyebrow and smirked. When she mimicked his expression he changed his own in response. Their game was a bit odd for a four hundred year old church, but any tension she had felt from those month old words melted away.

Then suddenly his eyes snapped away towards the isle. She turned casually to see what had drawn his attention. The Ootori siblings strolled casually up the walkway, all looking squarely at their youngest brother who stood beside Suou Tamaki at the alter. The tallest nodded briskly, which Kyouya returned.

Before Haruhi could gauge Kyouya's reaction, the music began to play.

Suddenly everything was beautiful, and fear was buried somewhere deep inside. This moment did not belong to them, after all.

* * *

The wedding reception was back at the Estate. It had completely changed since they had left that morning. No surface was free of flowers. A string quartet was positioned beside Tamaki's piano, playing pleasantly familiar songs. The crowd was immense, but Haruhi had successfully placed herself at one of the outlying tables.

She could not spot Kyouya anywhere.

It was not long that her former Host Club friends came to sit with her, all beaming with happiness. Even after all the other boys had arrived, Kyouya was still no where to be found. Mori noticed her unease and retrieved her a glass of chardonnay.

The air was cut by the sound of a clinking glass, the music died and the crowd fell silent.

"Well, I suppose it's time I say my piece," Kyouya laughed into the microphone now in the center of the dance floor. "I've known Tamaki for a many years, as you all know. His spirit has always been not only his strength but the strength of all of us at Ouran. In his own unique way Tamaki is a pillar of unsteady stability. It is simply astonishing that he found someone that can not only knows his nature but can trust and appreciate the power of his spirit. It is also amazing that a woman has finally come around who loves him despite the constant calamity that comes in his wake and actually seems to enjoy it. You two bring out the best in each other without changing anything about your true selves. It's admirable. So, congratulations, Suou Tamaki and Suou Rebecca, may you have many pleasant and hopefully peaceful years together. Here here!"

Everyone rose their glasses to the toast, and the merriment once again ensued. The master of ceremonies announced the first dance. Haruhi felt a bit jealous as she watched Kyouya dance with the maid of honor, an old friend of the bride. She could feel her skin crawl as she watched the girl whisper something to him that elicited a smile and laugh.

When the MC announced for all the guests to join the wedding party, Haruhi quickly dragged Mori out on to the floor with her.

Though she wouldn't even admit it to herself, Haruhi wanted Kyouya to feel jealous as jealous as she did.

"I'm sorry," Mori said awkwardly, drawing her eyes away from Kyouya and the French stranger.

"Don't worry, it just kinda happens sometimes, I understand." Honestly, she really didn't understand at all.

"Nhh." he grunted, shaking his head.

"Hey, we've been friends for years, Mori-sempai, a kiss between friends is hardly something unexpected or frowned upon."

His expression was awkward and pained, but at the very least Morinozuka Takashi was looking her in they eyes again. Haruhi's stomach spun at the idea of being rejected in the same way she had just done, so instead of dwelling on the possibilities she made idle chatter with her tall former classmate as they danced.

* * *

"That was a lovely toast, Mr. Ootori," his third dance partner said brightly, drawing his attention away from his makeshift roommate and his former Host Club associates sitting at one of the many ornately decorated tables.

Kyouya couldn't help but laugh, "I hardly knew what to say, I sort of made it up as I went along."

"Impressive!" she chirped as the song drew to a close.

"Thank you," he replied shortly, scanning the wandering couples as the exited the dance floor.

As he approached the table Kyouya watched Haruhi get up and walk towards the bar that was now open in the edge. He followed her as best he could through the crowd, only to feel a hand firmly grasp his shoulder has he passed.

"Toshiro," Kyouya blandly said, turning. His brother was smiling when Kyouya turned to face him. "Can I help you?"

"Are you enjoying tonight, brother?" Toshiro asked, his tone a falsely saccharine. "Smile for everyone, you're seeing your eldest brother after months away on business, after all."

Kyouya forced a smile, "Of course, your charade really is that important to me."

"I appreciate it," Toshiro replied with a smile, "really, it's for the best for the best for our family business and our legacy."

"Well, isn't that just wonderful for everyone then?" Kyouya said flatly and marched toward the bar. He threw himself down on the stool behind Haruhi, who jumped at the commotion.

"You look upset," she said with a sigh.

"Brilliant deduction, my dear Haruhi," Kyouya replied, a bit more acerbic in tone than he had initially intended. She looked at him with hurt eyes that made him feel instantly guilty. "Sorry… Would you like to dance?"

When he took her hand she blushed. When they walked onto the floor she could feel her heart skip a beat. When he pressed his body up against hers as they danced, she could feel a warmth wash over her.

"I think I'd go insane without you sometimes," He whispered. His hair brushed up against her cheek and his lips grazed the outer edge of her ear.

As he tried to pull away she held his face close to hers and she kissed him. It was a short, light graze of her lips on his, but with spinning on the center of the dance floor anything more would have drawn unseemly attention.

Ootori Kyouya was dumbstruck, which of course he had never felt before, and it was quite difficult to remember to keep dancing.

Fujioka Haruhi was terrified by his lack of immediate response and felt embarrassed beyond all belief.

When the music stopped and they locked eyes, she suddenly didn't feel so insecure.

"I'm going upstairs for the night," she said. _Come with me_, her mind followed.

He had a hard time letting her go. "I'll be up later."

She grabbed his glasses from his face. "We need to talk, I'll be holding on to these until you come to see me."

"Alright."

As she walked away he could barely restrain himself from chasing after her, but he knew the Tashiro and Sesuke would notice such a hasty departure. Instead he went back to the bar and spoke with a few acquaintances about his 'time away on business' and the joy of seeing his 'beloved brothers' again.

He knew what he had to do to keep his new life together.

Ootori Kyouya was unwilling to lose everything again.


	15. Chapter 15

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Rating: M

* * *

So yeah, I've come back again, and it only took me like, three weeks. And here's where the rating takes that final step up to raunchy. Well, maybe not raunchy, I like to think I did things rather tastefully. Whatever, right? It's not inappropriate so I don't think I have to worry about content issues.  
While I reread this scene the first time, I was listening to "Breathe Me" by Sia, I think it works quite well. I would, if I were going to do a little soundtrack, follow it up with "SAKURA" by Ikimono Gakari. That song, when I read the lyrics, actually reminded me a lot of this story.

Hard to imagine that I started writing this story a year ago today (first chapter posted on February 19th, 2007)! Baffling for me, really.

* * *

Haruhi wished he would come up to her room. She was hoping, desperately, that he would come to see her. She couldn't help but notice him, even as she danced with other men, as she spoke with old friends whom she missed so dearly. She always kept one eye on him.

And when she kissed him, she could feel an electricity in her that had been building for months begging to be acknowledged.

She was hoping he felt the same.

She decided it was time to lay all her cards on the table. It was time to see just where they stood. She wanted him. She was also fairly sure he wanted her, but the prospect of rejection still caused her throat to tighten and her eyes to water.

The vulnerability of her situation scared her, but she bear the uncertainty any longer.

* * *

Ootori Kyouya struggled with the idea of not rushing up the stairs and kissing her. Touching her. Holding her. Showing her what was on his mind every night. He decided to make his presence known until much later, until after Tamaki and Rebecca departed for their London honeymoon. He would occasionally catch Tashiro and Sesuke pass him analyzing glances. He returned a spurious smile flawlessly.

The casual walk up the stairs was heavily labored. He wanted to run to her.

He knocked lightly at the door before she beckoned him in.

"Oh, Kyouya, you've come. I can't reach the corset strings. Can you undo the back of my dress?" she asked shyly, looking over her shoulder.

Something snapped.

The clearly drawn line, that line between self-preservation, though he hardly had the right to concern himself with lifestyle maintenance anymore, and pleasure, which he had never before concerned himself with much at all, dissolved.

He would not be contained.

And he walked up slowly behind her, and he pressed himself against her back. "Stop doing this to me," he murmured.

"What…?" she sighed, her legs tingling with a feeling she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Stop making me want you." He attempted to untie the laces but found them unrelenting, and in something just short of frenzy tore one of the ribbons. This sent her gown collapsing to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her sparse undergarments. She could feel a blush sinking throughout her, not knowing what to do. Her body forbade her from moving, and her mind refused to function.

His strong arms encircled her before she could turn to face him. One hand firmly grasped her breast, his palm grazing her nipple and sending a shockwave through her abdomen. The other ran up and down the inside of her narrow thigh as he place rough kisses against the back of her neck. She could feel his whole body against her, full of need.

"Say you want me." She couldn't determine whether it was a demand or a plea, but the tone was enticing none the less. He held her firmly against him, and brushed his lips lightly against her ear. "Say it."

"I want you," she replied, almost as a reflex to the way his hands roamed her body, "I've wanted you for so long."

"Why didn't you just say so," he asked, turning her to face him. His eyes burned into hers as he held her tightly against him.

"Because," she said, turning her face away, "I wanted to know you actually cared about me first."

His whole body eased as he lifted her chin up to face him. His face had seemed to grown softer than she had ever seen, his eyes seemed to shimmer with a boyish lightness they didn't even possess when they were younger.

"I love you," he said in a barely audible voice. His face grew red quickly, embarrassed by actually expressing the words he'd never considered saying out loud in his entire life. But he knew there was so much more to say: how much she had helped him, how much she had taught him, how much he adored every minute part of their time together.

If he could, he would have told her how she had made him into a better person, how she had given him a peace he had never known.

But instead he just continued to stare into her hazel eyes in hope of some reassurance. This reassurance came in the form of her pulling him down into a long, gentle kiss that tasted faintly of cinnamon.

He made a conscious decision as she pulled away, blushing, to be careful with her. To be gentle, to show her just what he felt. He would make sure she would never forget when they first came together, even if it wasn't at this moment. That was not to say lust for her was nearly killing him.

"Do you want this?" He asked cautiously.

"Touch me," she replied, still looking at the floor, "like you did before. Please?"

Her request made him smirk. He was glad that he had this effect on her.

So, of course, he was more than happy to oblige.

* * *

The night was filled with completely new experiences for her.

He couldn't believe how she made everything feel new.

She was warm.

He acquainted himself with her body with every kiss and every touch.

She was aching for him

He couldn't help but coax her further to the edge.

She was ready.

He told her that he loved her again.

She cried his name when entered her.

He propped himself on one elbow and brushed her single tear away.

She told him to keep going.

They developed a rhythm of kisses and thrusts and moans, then there was only ecstasy.

Once the world reappeared he could feel the numb pain of the scratches on his back, the warmth of her breath on his neck, the taste of her lips still lingering on his, and happiness.

"Kyouya," Haruhi sighed, her lips grazing his skin.

"Haruhi," he replied.

No more words would come to mind as she laid their beside him. He held her to his chest, and she felt a contentment she'd never felt before. As she nodded off to sleep, she felt him press a kiss to her forehead.

He continued to watch her long after she fell asleep. Though he didn't know why, he felt a creeping fear that if he succumbed to sleep that when he awoke the last few months wouldn't be real. He closed his eyes firmly, telling himself it was foolishness, but his mind continued to race.

Could he feel happy like this for the rest of his days?

Something in him felt uneasy.

He loved her, he knew for certain.

But could he be happy working in a tacky little job, making pittance?

He couldn't deny he felt happier with her than he ever had.

Could he live this life where he felt so ill-suited, but somehow at peace?

Apart from her, his whole life felt wrong.

__

Who am I?

he wondered, _Who have I become?_

Haruhi sighed against him and made his breath hitch.

For now, he could just be happy there beside her. Ootori Kyouya closed his eyes and succumbed to uneasy sleep.

* * *

Fujioka Haruhi woke up alone the next morning, assuming she had had the most pleasant dream. She stood from the bed and felt the cold air hit her body, but in a morning daze walked towards the bathroom.

The shower was already running, oddly enough.

When she searched the bathroom for her toothbrush, it occurred to her that, in fact, Kyouya had come to her room that night and they had made love for the first time. He was her first.

She was his, in some sort of fantastical romantic sense, though somehow she felt he was more hers.

She pulled open the shower curtain to see him, and after a moment of wide-eyed shock, he looked quite pleased.

"Ohayou," Kyouya said enigmatically. She stepped in with him, without a shred of modesty or concern.

She acquainted herself with every inch of his body.

He found her absolutely baffling, but didn't mind in the least.

She enjoyed the way he growled when she grazed her fingertips across his most intimate area.

He was under her spell.

"Tell me what you like," She said to him, barely audible over the hiss of water that poured over them.

If he could have managed a reasonable thought, he probably would have assumed he was dreaming.

She pressed soft kisses to his dripping flesh, "Tell me," she repeated.

Fujioka Haruhi prided herself with the fact was a quick learner, especially when she found the subject matter intriguing. Nothing could have been more fascinating than the sight of his body, the taste of his skin, and the way he could make her feel without the slightest realization of what he did.

She wanted him to feel the same.

* * *

"I can't believe how early it is," Hunny growled, his feet pounding heavily on the floor as he walked.

Mori passed him a reprimanding glance, to which he sighed and ceased his stamping.

Kaoru laughed at their familiar interaction, "Carpe diem, Hunny-sempai."

"Yeah, if you want to catch breakfast at a restaurant, you can't show up after noon," Hikaru included, "I'm starved as it is."

"Let's bring Haru-chan with us," Hunny suggested as they approached her room, "it feels like forever since the last time we had cake together."

"Almost four years," Mori said flatly, casting an analyzing glance at Haruhi's guest room door.

All four boys fell silent, guilt for their lack of consideration creeping into their minds. Four years? Had it really been _four years_?

"Haru-chan, Haru-chan, can we-come in?" Hunny hollered, knocking quickly.

She cracked the door open and peered outside, "Good morning…"

"We're bringing you to breakfast!" Kaoru insisted.

"Alright! Let's go!" Hikaru piped in, grabbing her hand.

Haruhi sighed as she was dragged down the hallway, though the happiness was hard to disguise. _This is how life should be_, she thought to herself.

"Oh!" Hunny said, stopping in his tracks, "Let's not forget Kyou-chan!"

The twins dove in and began pounding on his door, but when no one came they looked simply perplexed. Upon further examination, which in essence was Hikaru throwing open the door and the twins and Hunny tearing the room apart, the former hosts concluded that the room was in fact empty.

"Haru-chan," Hunny squeeked, "have you seen Kyou-chan? We can't go without him!"

"He definitely stayed here last night, I saw him come upstairs," Hikaru announced.

"Maybe he's downstairs? Or maybe in the upstairs study?"

"We should split up and look around!" Hunny declared, clapping his hands "Haru-chan and I will search upstairs, and Kaoru-kun and Hikaru-kun and look downstairs and in the kitchen, and Takashi can search the guest rooms, okay?"

"Maybe I should--" Haruhi began, only to lock eyes with Mori. He gave her a glance that dulled her concern and stop her protest before she could begin it.

Hunny grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards the staircase, "Let's go!" he exclaimed, pumping his free hand into the air. Mori watched Hikaru and Kaoru barreled off in the opposite direction. Haruhi passed Mori one more glance as she was dragged up the stairs, to which he only offered a smile.

Without even a second thought, Mori walked back to Haruhi's room and cracked the door open to spot Kyouya frantically searching about the drawers of her cabinets, clutching a towel around his waist with one hand.

"Kyouya," Mori said, opening the door.

Kyouya turned his head to see his former sempai standing in the doorway. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Mori-sempai."

Mori, of course, didn't ask what had happened or why Kyouya was in Haruhi's room. Mori walked in and picked up Kyouya's glasses which rested quaintly folded on the bed stand.

"Where are the others? Out of eyeshot I hope?" Kyouya extended his hand to Mori. Mori reluctantly placed the spectacles in his hands.

"Yes," Mori sighed, locking eyes momentarily with Kyouya before turning and walking out the door.

Kyouya could sense something was off about what had transpired, though it had not certainly been an ideal situation but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what. He walked down to his room and dressed.

He could still smell her on his skin, he could still taste her on his lips.

Kyouya had just begun putting on his shoes when his door flew open.

"There you are, Kyou-chan!" Hunny squealed, bouncing into his room. "We're going to Les Baies Rouges for breakfast! Come with us?"

Haruhi waved to Kyouya from the doorway, a sincere smile gracing her features.

He would have expected her to blush, to look away from him after what had transpired less that an hour ago in her shower, but instead she gave him that same smile that he'd come home to every day in Tokyo.

Ootori Kyouya found himself pleasantly surprised.

"Delightful idea, Hunny-sempai, shall we be off then?" Hunny struck up a little conversation with Mori as he exited about stopping by the dojo before 'tournament season'. Mori feigned interest, if for no sake but his own, and stared ahead down the hall.

While they followed their former sempai in search of the twins, Kyouya reached out and took Haruhi's hand. As their fingers intertwined she glanced at him.

She enjoyed the way he smiled when there was nothing behind it but happiness, no matter how much more frequent this expression had become.


	16. Chapter 16

Erudition  
By Keiraun  
Rating: M

* * *

BAH. School was so frustrating! I had quizzes every day in my Cog-Psych course, and almost daily meetings for my business course. It's awful. Finals were the 28th and 29th, so I'm fresh out of the horror. I thought I would start my leisurely break from school to write you all another quick chapter. Sorry about it being more than two months, you all know how school is. With summer unraveling, maybe I can have this finished soon? I would really like a beta reader, maybe I should search the archives for one? My grammar isn't bad but sometimes I notice small errors later or people point them out to me and they make me squirm.

Quick projection: The final chapter should be chapter 20 (21 if I feel it necessary). If this changes I'll let you all know.

Let me throw out some notes for you so the references in this chapter make sense:

Remember: the wedding was on December 23rd, so these events take place on the 24th into the 25th.

Le reveillon: Traditional French celebratory Christmas dinner.

Hotei-osho: The Japanese version of Santa. He's essentially a monk who hands out gifts to children on Christmas, he has an eye in the back of his head to watch children's behavior.

* * *

"So, how long have you two been together?" Hikaru asked bluntly as he spread jam across his croissant.

Kyouya looked over to Haruhi, who was stirring drops of honey into her tea.

"It's alright, Tono already told us. We're adults now, it's not like it's a competition anymore," Kaoru offered.

"Well--" Kyouya started.

"Competition?" Haruhi asked raising her eyes.

"All of us really liked you, Haru-chan," Hunny offered, speech slightly garbled by a mouthful of cake.

Mori stared down at his coffee.

"I never noticed."

"Well of course you didn't" Kaoru mused, tapping her on the nose with a jam-covered finger. "That was part of the appeal, after all."

As she blotted away the purple smudge, Hikaru asked again, "So, how long have you two been together?"

"Well," Kyouya began, only to stop short at the realization that he couldn't really explain anything without letting too much information go, "that is to say--"

"You two are _together_ right?" Hikaru prodded.

"I'd like to think so," Kyouya replied quickly and passed her a smile. She grinned pleasantly in return.

"HA!" Hikaru shouted. "I knew it! I TOLD you, Kaoru!"

"Well, I suppose you did," Kaoru grumbled, pulling out his wallet.

"Huh?" Haruhi stuttered, looking about.

"Just a little bet, it's nothing really," Kaoru sighed.

"Kaoru and I bet one whether you two were dating or not and I happen to be the winner," Hikaru explained, his hand open to his brother waiting for his reward.

"But you said Tamaki--" Kyouya muttered.

"Well, he probably would have spilled the beans eventually, considering you indicated he knows. So it was hardly any sort of legitimate deception so much as a pre-emptive deduction," Kaoru replied with a shrug.

Hikaru offered, "I suppose that was a bit of a lie, but is it really that surprising? So, where's my twenty-thousand yen, brother?"

"You rich bastards," Haruhi chastised, shaking her head. Hunny couldn't help but snicker. Soon all the former classmates were all laughing so loudly they were thrown out of the posh coffeehouse by an frustrated maitre de.

* * *

The day continued on with laughter and joy. The six friends walked up and down the streets of Paris, sight-seeing, shopping, reminiscing of days long passed by. Christmas lights sparkled in the shop windows and the city seemed to be full of magic.

As the night drew to a close the final stop was the airport, where Haruhi and Kyouya bid farewell to their closest friends.

Hikaru offered her a pleasant smile as they embraced, "It was so good to see you, I've missed our little games with Haruhi-chan."

"We'll keep in touch," Kaoru offered as he embraced Haruhi outside the terminal gates, "for real, I promise this time."

Haruhi nodded. Though she knew she shouldn't, she believed him.

When given the opportunity Hunny clutched himself to Haruhi, tearfully declaring his appreciation and devotion. Haruhi could catch a glimpse of Mori over his childhood companion's shoulder, looking painfully awkward. When he noticed her glance looked away quickly.

Morinozuka Takashi turned around, considering wandering away without any words. Kyouya intuitively noted Mori's intentions and approached him.

"I know the situation is a bit awkward for you with what happened this morning," Kyouya offered, "but I really do appreciate our friendship. I know Haruhi appreciates it as well. You should at least say goodbye, Morinozuka-sempai. It's the right thing to do."

Mori recoiled slightly at the remark, only to realize how right Kyouya was. He offered Kyouya a curt nod and a handshake which was gladly returned.

Mori mustered his courage before approaching Haruhi. She smiled up at him blankly and he looked down at her dumbfounded. "Goodbye, Mori-sempai."

"I'll write you," he offered, unable to force a smile to his face.

"Thanks, Mori-sempai, I look forward to hearing from you," she replied. He offered her his hand, to which she raised an eyebrow. "How dry. A handshake?"

Mori wrapped his arms around her (per her criticism) into a firm embrace. She smile into his chest as he had managed to position her in such a way that she couldn't adequately move.

Though Hikaru, Kaoru, and Hunny had managed to encircle him in an attempt to involve him in their conversation, Kyouya still managed to focus on watching Mori and Haruhi with slight apprehension. Though he had encouraged Morinozuka Takashi to say goodbye, be couldn't help but feel insecure by their proximity.

Ootori Kyouya was an Ootori first, and sharing had never been something an Ootori needed to learn.

Kyouya noted with his typical astuteness how Morinozuka shifted slightly as he broke his embrace, the way he clenched his teeth and ran his hand through his hair. He noticed that Mori shot him glances as well, analyzing gazes that seemed to put into question something beneath the surface.

"Let's take a picture together!" Hunny declared out of the blue, grabbing the attention of all his friends, "Come on everybody, Christmas picture!" After dragging Mori and Haruhi over to the rest of the group Hunny managed to recruit a nearby tourist to take a few photographs with his expensive, complicated camera (who babbling on in French something that seemed to indicate dismay or maybe frustration).

The six gathered closely to see afterwards the pictures on the small display screen, critiquing each other and themselves. When their private plane announced it had completed preparations, the twins and cousins said their final goodbyes to Kyouya and Haruhi.

The walk out of the airport felt somber by comparison. Kyouya and Haruhi walked slowly, not drawing their eyes up to look at each other until they reached the door to the car.

"Where to?" the hired driver asked in perfect Japanese. Kyouya was always impressed by the help Tamaki kept on staff, finding and keeping multilingual help was always a struggle at the Ootori household. Kyouya smiled remembering Jie Park, the Korean nanny he had in his early years who would read to him in English one night and German the next per his father's orders. She only lasted a few years before being treated as if she were inconsequential and lowly drove her to quit before Kyouya entered fourth grade. "People are probably having le reveillon so the shops should all have emptied. The lights are bound to be beautiful right now, though."

"Where would you like to go?" Kyouya asked Haruhi, who shrugged in response. "Just drive us into the city, please."

The young man nodded briskly and closed the window between the front and back of the car.

"Are we a couple?" Haruhi asked bluntly as the green fields dusted with snow rolled by. "The lies and reality have become a bit blurry for me."

"Do you want us to be?" Kyouya responded frankly, adjusting his spectacles.

Haruhi tilted her head briefly to think before she replied "In an emotional sense I do, I will admit I've grown _quite_ fond of you. But, logically speaking, we only have a few more months together before you leave."

"You think I'm never going to speak you again once I leave, don't you?" Kyouya's hurt tone took Haruhi aback for a moment. "I suppose I understand, 'logically speaking' that is."

"Well, it makes sense. You're going to be busy at your new job, so you won't be able to travel. You'll be overseas and I'll still be in Tokyo. I've got more than a year left in law school. Time will go by, and even though we might write early on, you'll get busy living your life while I get busy living mine until we just send birthday and Christmas cards at most."

"I don't think you understand the level of which I enjoy your company, Haruhi," Kyouya reassured.

"You 'love me'," Haruhi half-questioned, making little quote marks with her fingers to frame his words.

"You know I don't waste words, Fujioka Haruhi," he said a bit forcefully.

"So then you should have no trouble telling me if we should be together or not, Ootori Kyouya," she retorted calmly, folding her hands over her lap. Knowing she had pushed him into a corner, she offered him a victorious smile.

Kyouya grinned in response, realizing what a good match he had found with this girl. She could best him, corner him, force him to do and say things that no other woman could. She could burn him up then defuse him with remarkable ease.

"I think it's worth it, and that we can make it work. We're two very reasonable people who know our wants, needs, and limitations. I would suggest we just see how things play out."

"Very rational response," Haruhi answered. "So, you're my boyfriend, now?"

"Yes."

"The word will take some getting used to," she mused.

"You're an odd girl." He brushed his lips over hers gently. She quickly deepened the kiss, slipping a hand into his hair to hold him close. She used her free hand to pull off his glasses and toss them casually aside. She plundered his mouth with her tongue, exploring what she had only come to know within the past twenty-four hours.

"You know, the driver could be watching," Kyouya warned when he finally had the opportunity to catch his breath. Haruhi cocked her head to the side. After a moment she knocked on the window to the front of the car.

"Could you take us back to the estate?" She asked pleasantly.

"No problem, ma'am," he replied with a smile.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she offered.

"You really are an odd girl."

* * *

It was late by the time they arrived back. The mansion was empty, the staff all having Christmas day off, and with no one home they had no issue with leaving early. The only man who remained was the estate guard at the front gates, who allowed them in upon their return.

The foyer was dark, and the stairs, covered with flowers and littered with guests the day before were now sparkling clean and bare. The furniture was polished and symmetrically positioned. The grand piano waited silently for attention.

"No one's watching now," Haruhi proposed as Kyouya closed the door.

"Let's go upstairs," he replied with a smile.

She shook her head, "Why bother? No one's watching us right here."

Kyouya felt blessed.

* * *

The grandfather clock rang out the hour, the sound echoing up the stairwell. The sound was nearly deafening from where they laid tangled into each other on the ornate beside it.

"Oh hey, it's Christmas, Haruhi," Kyouya sighed into Haruhi's throat.

"Oh," she replied breathily "I have something for you in my room."

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, "You didn't need to do that."

"It's nothing big, just a second," she picked up his shirt from the floor and closed a few buttons before trotting up the stairs.

"I wonder if Hotei-osho watches us in France," Kyouya mused.

__

"Hotei-Osho doesn't give gifts to mischievous children, Kyouya," Sesuke groaned, peering up from the book he was focusing on.

A seven-year-old Kyouya shook his head, holding tightly onto the sliding ladder, "It's not mischief, brother, I'm library more organized so that father can find his books more easily."

"Why would you do that? I doubt he'll notice."

"It doesn't matter if it makes him happier," Kyouya replied, tossing a medical journal out of what he had decided was the encyclopedia area.

"If he doesn't notice how will it make him happier?" Sesuke replied lightly, smiling at his younger brother.

Kyouya frowned, his small brow lowering sharply, "Father will come to appreciate small contributions and he'll decide I'm to be the heir."

"Alright Kyouya," his brother sighed, returning to his reading.

"You'll see Sesuke-san," Kyouya said as he arranged as he placed the final Encyclopedia Britannica volume at the end of the shelf, "Father will pick me and you will have nothing."

The the anger in his tone bothered Sesuke, who failed to realize the childish envy that inspired his brother's words.

"Sorry it took me a minute, it was towards the bottom of my suitcase," Haruhi called as she strolled down the stairs, "why the long face?"

"Nothing, thinking," Kyouya replied, watching he walk towards him holding a small, red package. She extended it towards him, a smile sprawled across her face.

She watched eagerly as he carefully untied the ribbon, unwrap the box, and remove the lid. He lifted out the small, coin-shaped silver keychain. It had a center charm that spun when touched, twirling about the narrow metal beam that ran up the center of the piece.

"It's from the work," Haruhi offered, looking down at her feet, "I noticed when business was slow you'd play with the key chains like this on the display. It's supposed to bring good luck."

Kyouya flicked the charm and watched it rotate for several seconds before it stopped. He couldn't remember fiddling with one at the store, but it didn't surprise him that he could absently manipulate the contraption. It was a sweet gift, simple, pleasant.

"Arigato gozaimashita," he thanked, watching the anxiety in her eyes dissipate into joy. "I'll have to get you something in return."

"I don't need anything," she replied quickly, sincerely unable to think of anything she required.

Kyouya placed the gift back into its box before standing up to embrace Haruhi. She wrapped her arms around him tightly.

She realized that maybe she would never be able to let go.


End file.
